Case Study: The Columnist
Spring 2012
Story
David Auburn’s The Columnist
is a straight play based on the true story of Washington Columnist,
Joseph Alsop in the 1950’ and 60’s during the beginning of John F.
Kennedy’s presidency. The Columnist follows the life of Mr. Alsop as the most powerful journalist in the country.
Although
Alsop has much wealth and power as such an influential columnist, the
play focuses on his personal struggles. The play begins with John
Lithgow in bed in a Moscow hotel with Andrei, a young Russian man after
having relations. It is rumored that after the encounter the KGB has
pictures of the private event. Joseph’s brother, Stewart Alsop, played
by Boyd Gaines, discovers the rumor that can end his older brothers
career. In an attempt to protect his brothers’ integrity and career,
Stewart begins a private investigation.
While
Stewart begins his investigation, Joseph marries a close friend, Susan
Mary (played by Margaret Colin) in order to support her and her daughter
Abigail (Grace Gummer). Susan Mary is aware of Joseph’s sexual
orientation and rumors developing with her new spouse but is comfortable
with the relationship for the time being.
Tragedy
strikes at the end of Act 1 when the American people get word the John
F. Kennedy has been assassinated. Joseph suffers alone, not wanting to
show the pain of his loss to his brother Stewart or his wife, Susan
Mary.
The
political climate becomes more intense as Joseph Alsops’ integrity is
questioned by up and coming journalists. Still arrogant as ever, Mr.
Alsop demands that these “misinformed” college students be let go so
that seasoned professionals can continue to educate the American people
of the issues concerning the conflict in Vietnam.
Finally,
the rumors of Moscow catch up with Joe as his brother is forced to ask
him about his stay in Moscow in the 50’s. With a fear that the pictures
are close to being released, Stewart pushes Joe to explain the incident.
Mr. Alsop claims that he went straight to the FBI and CIA after the
event to admit his guilt so that a foreign party would not turn him in.
Joseph
Alsop teaches Abigail Latin to prepare for her studies and in return
she introduces him to the new culture of young America, including the
movement against the Vietnam War.
Susan
Mary can no longer handle the lack of intimacy in her new marriage and
decides to leave Joseph Alsop despite fathering Abigail as well as
supporting the family. After losing his wife and daughter in law, Joseph
is hit with the loss of his brother Stewart to cancer.
Finally,
after the political climate dies down, Joseph Alsop is re-connected
with Andrei, who is currently working in Washington D.C. at the Russian
Embassy. Andrei tries to make his peace with Joe by handing over the
negatives of the photos taken back at the evening in the Moscow hotel.
Joseph, who is at first surprised by running into his past lover, turns
down Andrei’s apology and leaves him on the park bench alone with no
desire of continuing any type of communication. Although Joseph Alsop
has went through the loss of his dear friend, John F. Kennedy, his
brother, wife and daughter in law, he still ends the show continuing to
do what he does best; inform the American people of what is happening in
the world and at home.
Musical/Play – New or Revival
The Columnist is an original play by David Auburn, produced by Manhattan Theatre Club. It made its world premiere on April 25, 2012 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre located at 47th and 8th. The show is scheduled to be a limited run until June 24, 2012.
Critique of Material
The Columnist is the first show that I have seen on Broadway. A few years ago, I had the privilege of seeing The Irish Curse Off Broadway in Soho, however Auburn’s play is a much larger production. Overall, I think the show as a whole was average. I cannot say that I would have the urge to suggest it to friends or that I would see it again but I did find the play intellectually stimulating. Ben Brantley of The New York Times stated the play is “more informative than illuminating” in his review of The Columnist. I agree with Mr. Brantley in this sense because I felt that it was more like reading a textbook than seeing a story develop on stage. Even with an interest in the McCarthy Era and the political climate of the 1950’s and 60’s, I believe some scenes in the show dragged on too much, even to just fill up time.
The
play appealed more to an older crowd with its material and dialogue.
The humor seemed appropriate for the time period as well the subject
matter since this was based on the life of Joseph Alsop. Considering
that MTC depends primarily on subscription and membership, the majority
of the audience was 60 and above, with myself being one of the youngest,
if not the youngest audience member. However I do believe this play
would appeal to young people in the LGBTQ community to understand the
history of struggle and persecution and that it did not just start
recently.
MTC producing The Columnist for a limited run was a smart business decision. Considering that non-profit organization relies primarily on subscription and membership, having a limited run till June 24th forces a bit of a rush on its members to see the show. Daniel Auburn describes MTC as “a home for a lot of writers. Lynne and Barry have made their theatre a place where you can return again and again with all different kinds of work and know that they’re going to welcome you.” There is a special relationship between non-profits and the writers that they support which I believe one factor of why this play was produced. Lynne Meadow described Daniel Auburn as “someone who is surprisingly young to understand what he understands about history repeating itself. He is a masterful writer and a guy with really something to say. To do a world premiere on Broadway by such an intelligent writer is something that I feel tremendously proud about.”
The material of the show caters to an older audience who was around during JFK presidency and assassination. I remember at the end of Act 1 when Joseph Alsop receives word of the assassination through the television in a separate room, although it’s not actually mentioned that he has been shot and killed, the audience is fully aware of what event just took place. I remember hearing a woman behind me say, “oh… this is when John F. Kennedy was shot.” For what might have been a foreign event that I could not draw a connection to, I believe the material allowed the audience to reminisce a time earlier in their lives. John Lithgow described the MTC audience as “smart audiences…adventurous, ready to look at new material and really receive whatever we throw at them… it was great to be able to adjust the various tones of the play. Some of it is really funny and they were there for that. It’s wonderful to get them laughing and then turn the tables on them. Especially with a story like this.” At the end of the show, I believed that the audience members really appreciated the work that MTC has put into creating this work.
I believe the factor that the political climate has changed a lot within the last ten years also contributes to why this show was produced. In 2009, President Barrack Obama assumed office. Many pressing issues affecting the LGBTQ community have since come into the public’s view. The issue of gay marriage has been a constant topic in the media for the past 2 years. With new politicians seeking office, such as conservatives Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, the question of marriage equality continues to be an even larger pressing issue. For Joseph Alsop, although he was married, he was unhappy because he could not be with someone who he could really fall in love with. He married Susan Mary more so for stability and protection from the public eye.
External environment
Currently, we are in the middle of a political election for the presidency. As stated by Howard Sherman, the New York Times is not as credible as it used to be. Media in general is starting to be characterized by political affiliation, such as Fox being conservative and MSNBC being more liberal. The Columnist offers an insight to when journalists and critics alike held ultimate authority where there word weighted heavily with the American people. It is no surprise that with the LGBTQ issues occurring currently, a story involving scandal such as The Columnist seems appropriate and fitting at this point in time.
The only show that falls remotely close to having similar subject matter are One Man, Two Guvnors and The Best Man just because their story lines include politics. However, other than that small connection, MTC has produced a play that is unique to the Broadway 2012 season.
Timing
The timing of the production of The Columnist is perfect. In a time where the American people are in the middle of a presidential election and multiple LGBTQ issues, there is no better time to produce a show that focuses on politics and social issues. There are multiple shows on Broadway currently that are playing the ‘religious’ card such as Book of Mormon, Sister Act, Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell. The Columnist is a dramatic play that has information presented in an “easy to digest” way. John Lithgow chose the perfect time to come back to Broadway to star in what is truly a solid play and is now nominated for Best Play by The Drama League.
Venue Appropriateness
The Samuel Friedman Theatre, currently owned by Manhattan Theatre Club is located at W 47th and 8th. Across from the Brooks Atkinson where Peter And The Starcatcher is currently playing, the Friedman Theatre is an appropriate venue for The Columnist. The venue is small enough where the experience is intimate which I believe is especially beneficial for a straight play. I believe the Friedman Theatre is an essential venue for MTC to produce plays.
The use of revolving scenery and walls on stage was a good use of space by the designers of the piece. By creating mostly wall space and outlines of sets, such as shrubbery and stonewalls, I believe the designers were able to maximize the space used by actors on stage. The seats were comfortable and the staging was done in a way that there was never a time where actors on stage where not visible from any seat in the theatre.
Analysis of Creative Team
David Auburn (Playwright) has had a few successes before creating The Columnist. Mr. Auburn’s works include The New York Idea (Atlantic Theater), Proof (MTC on Broadway) that won the Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award and New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award. His film credits include writing and directing The Girl in the Park. I believe Mr. Auburn did a fantastic way of capturing Joseph Alsops' persona through his playwriting. The dialogue was smart, witty and catered to older generations taste. John Lithgow describes the story as “funny but extremely poignant and painful at certain moments.” I find this statement to be true and I believe Mr. Auburn did an excellent job of making transitions in the play between these different emotions.
Daniel Sullivan (Director) has directed such plays as All’s Well That Ends Well, The Merchant of Venice with Al Pacino and Twelfth Night with Anne Hathaway as well as various other plays earlier in his career. Overall I believe that Daniel Sullivan did a good job emphasizing the significance of Joseph Alsop through his blocking. I am unsure how much influence Mr. Sullivan had in acting choices, but I do believe there was a good contrast of serious and humorous scenes.
John Lee Beatty (Scenic Design) captured the time period well. The set was well decorated from the urn on the mantle of the fireplace to the dirty cup at the Vietnamese bar to embody the 1960’s. Mr. Beatty also designed this season’s Venus in Fur, Other Desert Cities, Hugh Jackman and Don’t Dress for Dinner. Other Broadway credits include Chicago, Doubt and The Color Purple to name a few. I personally enjoyed Mr. Beatty’s scenic design and was most impressed by the revolving wall space that created multiple rooms in various locations for the play. I thought that the graveyard scene transitioning to the park bench scene was extremely clever. The set was believable for the time period and I believe Mr. Beatty did an excellent job, especially since he was working on multiple projects this season.
Jess Goldstein (Costume Design) who has also done costume design for Newsies, Jersey Boys and Henry IV did an excellent job of capturing the 60’s white collar style. Her costume design mixed well against Mr. Beatty’s scenery. I believe Ms. Goldstein also did well in showing the American style of reporters both in Washington D.C. and over in Vietnam. This showed Ms. Goldstein’s versatility when creating costumes intended for different environments. I found the costumes believable for the time period that helped paint the picture of the life of Joseph Alsop.
Kenneth Posner (Lighting Design) has designed multiple shows for MTC including The Royal Family, Nine Armenians and Dealer’s Choice and on Broadway including The Best Man, Other Desert Cities, The Merchant of Venice and Catch Me If You Can. Mr. Posner portrayed vehicles outside windows of the Mr. Alsop’s house which gave a more realistic to the feel to house designed by John Lee Beatty. Mr. Posner’s lighting design complimented the scenery of Mr. Beatty’s very well.
John Gromada (Original Music & Sound Design) created a perfect soundtrack for The Columnist. The original track played during scene changes evokes a chilling but calm mood. To psychoanalyze the musical score, the piano, which starts the track, represents Joseph Alsop. The piano plays sporadic chords that sound like a mix between entrance music for news programs and the typewriter keys that is used throughout the play. The trombone and trumpet play a haunting and ominous melody that allows the audience to know that when the curtain goes up, it will not be just a ‘feel-good’ play. All members of the creative team complimented each other's work well to make a believable story on stage. I think there was more of a pressure to make it believable since the story is based on a real influential person.
One of the most impressive aspects of the show was that Charles G. LaPointe (Hair and Wig Design) used wigs and coloring to show the actors aging as the show moved from the 50’s to 60’s. Joseph Alsop started off with slick black hair and by the end of Act II he had slowly transitioned to a balding white haired man.
Analysis of Casting
MTC relied on ‘star casting’ when John Lithgow (Joseph Alsop) brought on board. He stated after his opening night performance, “it was not jitters. It was pure pleasure and excitement tonight and I had such confidence in the play.” Mr. Lithgow did do a phenomenal job of portraying Joseph Alsop, a man both love and feared by political parties in the 1960’s. Lithgow demanded respect and authority from the audience by portraying Mr. Alsop as confident, arrogant newspaper columnist, brother and husband. Ben Brantley described John Lithgow’s performance as one he could do “with his eyes closed.” Lynne Meadows Barry Grove and multiple other attendees at the opening night performance describe Mr. Lithgow as “an amazing American actor” which proved in his portrayal of Mr. Joseph Alsop and is now nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor.
Margaret Colin (Susan Mary Alsop) stated, “So what I’ve learned is to do my part to support John and to tell this beautiful woman’s story.” Ms. Colin did a great job of portraying and elegant, intelligent Mrs. Alsop.
Boyd Gaines (Stewart Alsop) commented “the great thing is you get to do all the research and learn about these, you know, fascinating human beings and also an incredibly important time in American history.” I was impressed with Mr. Gaines performance. I believed him when he acted concerned for his brother’s political and personal career when rumors surfaced that could end his career. His acting and role in the show reminded me of the relationship my brother and I have. I got this feeling that as the younger brother, he looked up to Joe and was willing to support him through anything. When push came to shove, Stewart Alsop would defend himself, even to Joe.
Grace Gummer (Abigail), Stephen Kunken (Halberstam) and Mac Bonan (Philip) were good but I was not highly drawn into their characters. I did however have a problem with Brian J. Smith (Andrei). I understand that Russian accents are not easy, however I did not believe in either the beginning of the play nor end that Andrei was Russian. There were too many breaks and the inflections sounded off. Being that he was one of the smaller roles, I don’t believe this factor affected the overall play.
Analysis of Press, Marketing, Publicity
Manhattan Theatre Club is in a unique situation being a non-profit organization. Since the organization runs mostly by subscription and membership, MTC was able to rely on these supporters to buy tickets for the production. Although The Columnist did not start a typical huge marketing campaign, I believe because of the support of those subscribers and members, it didn’t have to. MTC hired Boneau/Bryan-Brown Inc. as press representatives for the production. The press representatives are currently representing multiple shows on Broadway including Jersey Boys, Stomp, Jesus Christ Superstar and is the general representative for all MTC productions.
John Lithgow made an appearance on “CBS This Morning” to pitch the show as well as being part of a big Youtube.com marketing campaign including twelve videos. MTC does not have a Twitter account and did not focus on having a social media campaign for The Columnist. I can understand the decision being that the majority of MTC’s audience is of older generations and are therefore less likely to pay attention to social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook. There is no specific page for The Columnist, however MTC’s Facebook page currently has over 4,000 ‘likes’. The Columnist marketing team did pay for advertisements on Facebook and Youtube. This was a smart move because Google has created an analytic system that can determine your interests based on what you search for. For example, since starting this case study, I have seen multiple advertisements on both Facebook and Youtube due to the fact that I have been searching for information on The Columnist through Google for the past few months. MTC is fortunate enough to rely on their subscribers and members to buy tickets until the show closes June 24, 2012.
Pre-opening news-scuttlebutt
Before the show opened, there was a heavy emphasis put on John Lithgow, who would be playing his 3rd columnist on Broadway. Barry Grove stated “John Lithgow is one of the great American actors for stage, television and film. But, particularly on the stage he has an authority, command, an expertise that’s quite unusual. This character is filled in contradictions, an incredibly complicated and interesting man. John finds each and every facet of it and makes it all very real and compelling.” There was also emphasis on David Auburn and Daniel Sullivan working together on a play again at MTC. The first show that both men had a lot of success with was Proof, which won the 2001 Tony Award for Best Play and Pulitzer Prize for Drama. There is a question on whether the duo working together again can bring MTC another Tony Award.
Any controversy?
Through my research, I discovered no controversy leading up to opening or so far into the run of The Columnist.
Opening Night
The Columnist started previews on April 5, 2012 and opened April 25, 2012. Mamie Gummer was excited as she explained “David Auburn and Daniel Sullivan, it doesn’t really get better then that. Talk about a dream team.” Many of John Lithgow’s fellow actors showed up to opening night so support him. These friends included Glenn Close, David Hyde-Pierce, Norbert Leo Butz, Ben Walker and Lily Rabe.
Reviews
The Columnist pulled in decent reviews from the critics. Ben Brantley of The New York Times was on the fence about the production as was Associated Press, Entertainment Weekly and Hollywood Reporter. Ben Brantley spoke highly of John Lithgow’s performance stating, “John Lithgow is impossible to resist.” Linda Winer of Newsday gave The Columnist a ‘thumbs up’ and spoke highly of John Lithgow describing him as “superb.” With these decent reviews, Mr. Lithgow and the rest of the cast can be sure that their show will run until their scheduled closing date, if not extended. Mamie Gummer raved “David Auburn, Daniel Sullivan, it doesn’t really get better then that. Talk about a dream team.”
Will it run?
The Columnist is scheduled limited run until June 24th. I believe that if John Lithgow wins Best Actor in a play at the Tony Awards, the show may be extended further. MTC already relies heavily on the star power that John Lithgow possesses.
The Columnist is not scheduled to close until June 24, 2012.
As of May 1st when the Tony nominations were announced, consequently the same day I saw the production of The Columnist. John Lithgow was nominated for Best Actor in a play. Unfortunately this is the only nomination that The Columnist has received for the 2012 season. However, this will allow MTC to utilize the star power of John Lithgow further, especially if he wins the Tony.
Overall I think The Columnist is a great educational, funny, and truthful play that explains the life of a great American Journalist who had the respect of both the American public and Presidents alike. I believe all members of the creative team brought a lot of great ideas to the table to create a solid play that deserves more attention and credit than it has received. I am surprised that MTC has not tried to market the show to a younger college or LGBTQ audience considering its content.
I was impressed with the set, costumes and dialogue of the show, which I believe was realistic to the story and time period. All the actors except Brian J. Smith impressed me. I have been convinced to see future shows that John Lithgow stars in on Broadway just based on his incredible performance in The Columnist. Margaret Colin and Boyd Gaines did a solid job in their supporting roles. These two actors were able to develop their characters well enough so that despite the fact that they did not have as many lines as Mr. Lithgow, the audience became invested in their trials and tribulations. I felt myself feeling sympathetic for both their characters, as they had to put up with the arrogant Joseph Alsop.
I enjoyed going to see a show at a non-profit house on Broadway. I felt more welcomed by the staff and I felt that the theatre itself gave off a more community type feel, which made the intimacy of the play more apparent.
David Auburn and Daniel Sullivan should continue working with each other on Broadway because they have the power to create incredible, compelling work that educates as well as entertains.
Although I would not by choice see The Columnist again, I do believe that this would be an enjoyable show for college students, individuals interested in politics, journalism and LGBTQ issues in history.
From this case study I have learned the differences between for profit theater houses and non-profits. The atmosphere in non-profit theatres is friendlier and less rushed than in the for-profit sector.
This was the first show where I took the time to analyze the use of “star power” in a production. I believe that without John Lithgow and some unknown actor as Joseph Alsop, the show would not have been able to be sold, even with a majority of subscribers and members in the target audience.
I paid extra close attention to the marketing strategy of MTC for The Columnist. I took special interest in how the Friedman Theatre was marketing the show to pedestrians on the street. I have learned that I prefer seeing productions at non-profit houses just for the atmosphere. I don’t feel as if I am treated as a customer, but rather a friend who is expected to come back for future productions and therefore treated with respect and professionalism. Spending intermission in the Patron Lounge at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre made me appreciate the work that nonprofits do with a reliance on donors and the relationships they cultivate with patrons over the years. This has made me appreciate the work that nonprofits do and to further look forward to working with the 52nd Street Project this summer.
I have learned that despite the talent and expertise of what I believe to be an incredible creative team, there are always other shows on Broadway that catches the critics’ attention.
On a personal intellectual level, I have learned that issues facing the LGBTQ community started a lot earlier in history when Senator McCarthy somehow linked communism with homosexuality. I feel privileged to have learned about a great American columnist who had the respect of a nation and just so happened to be Gay as well. I found the story of Joseph Alsop truly inspiring especially since he did not run from rumors but rather faced them head on with confidence. I believe Joseph Alsop was a hardworking American that although arrogant, was nothing short of wise and successful.
Sources:
5. Columnist Playbill
6. Notes for terms and definitions learned in Commercial Theatrical Producing.
