Santino Fontana, Alison Pill & More Join COVID-19-Centric Play The Line

The Public Theater has announced the world premiere of Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen's The Line. Created in a documentary style similar to that of The Exonerated, Aftermath and Coal Country, the play brings stories of New York City’s first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic to the digital stage. Directed by Blank, the livestreamed production will debut on July 8 at 7:30PM ET on the Public's website and YouTube channel.

The company will feature Santino Fontana, Alison Pill, Arjun Gupta, John Ortiz, Nicholas Pinnock, Jamey Sheridan and Lorraine Toussaint. The Line includes original music composition by Aimee Mann. Janelle Caso will serve as production stage manager.

"In spring 2020, we conducted anonymous interviews with NYC frontline medical workers battling the COVID-19 virus,” said creators Blank and Jensen in a statement. “Created from quarantine in rapid response to this national emergency, The Line presents a fundamental redefinition of what it means to protect and serve, examining the fault lines in our system through the words of the brave people who show up every day to care for us all."