Thursday, May 3, 2012

Theater Review: The Columnist

Rather Dry Treatment Reads Like Old News
By Lauren Yarger
In the current political climate, when we hear almost daily accusations about the bias of news media, a play about an influential journalist might seem timely.
David Auburn’s (Proof) The Columnist getting its world premiere on Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club, doesn’t quite earn a place above the fold, however.

It’s a great vehicle for star John Lithgow, but unless you are a journalist or a political junkie over the age of 50, you probably won’t have much interest in the protagonist, Joseph Alsop. Alsop began his career in the 1930s and came to prominence for his New York Herald Tribune coverage of the trial for the “crime of the century”  -- the Lindbergh baby kidnapping. He went on to become one of the most influential political columnists, partying with the Kennedys following his inauguration, grieving over his assassination, then advocating  LBJ to escalate action in Viet Nam.

The story here focuses on Alsop’s personal life. Friend Susan Mary Alsop (Margaret Colin) is aware of his closeted homosexuality, but accepts his marriage proposal because she wants the social life he can offer. Brother Stewart (Boyd Gaines) is skeptical at first, but soon becomes a support for Susan, who wants more companionship than her husband can offer. Alsop becomes a devoted stepfather to Susan’s daughter, Abigail (Grace Gummer), but his secret life, and particularly an encounter he had in Soviet Russia with young Andrei (Brian J. Smith), might be just the ammunition his highly place political enemies need to shoot down his career.

Stephen Kunken as Pulitzer-Prize-winning rival reporter David Halberstam and Marc Bonan as Abigail’s unfortunate date, Philip, round out the cast.

Auburn’s treatment tends on the boring side. Journalists using their power to influence history isn’t new – it’s done now with such abandon that we don’t even think of it as unusual any more, so the significance of Alsop (and his fellow journalist brother) is lost. And do we really need another exploration of a guy struggling with his sexuality?

John Lee Beatty’s set nicely changes into the various locations with added projections of typewriting (Kenneth Posner, lighting design) enhanced by original music and sound design by John Gromada. The highlights here are a couple of performances: Lithgow, as the troubled, driven man not comfortable in any world and Colin as the love-starved wife trying to cope. Gaines is solid, as usual, as well, but these characters don’t really have anywhere to go here.

Meanwhile, Director Daniel Sullivan miscasts Gummer as Abigail, then fails to guide the least-skilled actor in the troupe through the character’s growth (she seems to be playing about 8 when we first meet her, but probably she’s supposed to be about 14?)

The Columnist has a closing deadline of June 24 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, 261 West 47th St., NYC. Tickets: www.manhattantheatreclub.com.

Christians also might like to know:
-- Homosexuality
-- God’s name taken in vain
-- Language
-- Sexual Dialogue

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Our reviews are professional reviews written without a religious bias. At the end of them, you can find a listing of language, content or theological issues that Christians might want to know about when deciding which shows to see.

** Mature indicates that the show has posted an advisory because of content. Usually this means I would recommend no one under the age of 16 attend.

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

My Bio

Lauren Yarger has written, directed and produced numerous shows and special events for both secular and Christian audiences. She co-wrote a Christian musical version of “A Christmas Carol” which played to sold-out audiences of over 3,000 in Vermont and was awarded the Vermont Bessie (theater and film awards) for “People’s Choice for Theatre.” She also has written two other dinner theaters, sketches for church services and devotions for Christian artists. Her play concept, "From Reel to Real: The Jennifer O'Neill Story" was presented as part of the League of professional Theatre Women's Julia's reading Room Series in New York. Shifting from reviewing to producing, Yarger owns Gracewell Productions, which produced the Table Reading Series at the Palace Theater in Waterbury, CT. She trained for three years in the Broadway League’s Producer Development Program, completed the Commercial Theater Institute's Producing Intensive and other training and produced a one-woman musical about Mary Magdalene that toured nationally and closed with an off-Broadway run. She was a Fellow at the National Critics Institute at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. She wrote reviews of Broadway and Off-Broadway theater (the only ones you can find in the US with an added Christian perspective) at http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/.

She is editor of The Connecticut Arts Connection (http://ctarts.blogspot.com), an award-winning website featuring theater and arts news for the state. She was a contributing editor for BroadwayWorld.com. She previously served as theater reviewer for the Manchester Journal-Inquirer, Connecticut theater editor for CurtainUp.com and as Connecticut and New York reviewer for American Theater Web.

She is a Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter of the League of Professional Theatre Women. She is a former vice president and voting member of The Drama Desk.

She is a freelance writer and playwright (member Dramatists Guild of America). She is a member if the The Outer Critics Circle (producer of the annual awards ceremony) and a member of The League of Professional Theatre Women, serving as Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter. Yarger was a book reviewer for Publishers Weekly A former newspaper editor and graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, Yarger also worked in arts management for the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and served for nine years as the Executive Director of Masterwork Productions, Inc. She lives with her husband in West Granby, CT. They have two adult children.

Copyright

All material is copyright 2008- 2024 by Lauren Yarger. Reviews and articles may not be reprinted without permission. Contact reflectionsinthelight@gmail.com

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Key to Content Notes:

God's name taken in vain -- means God or Jesus is used in dialogue without speaking directly to or about them.

Language -- means some curse words are used. "Minor" usually means the words are not too strong or that it only occurs once or twice throughout the show.

Strong Language -- means some of the more heavy duty curse words are used.

Nudity -- means a man or woman's backside, a man's lower front or a woman's front are revealed.

Scantily clad -- means actors' private areas are technically covered, but I can see a lot of them.

Sexual Language -- means the dialogue contains sexually explicit language but there's no action.

Sexual Activity -- means a man and woman are performing sexual acts.

Adultery -- Means a married man or woman is involved sexually with someone besides their spouse. If this is depicted with sexual acts on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Sex Outside of Marriage -- means a man and woman are involved sexually without being married. If this is depicted sexually on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Homosexuality -- means this is in the show, but not physically depicted.

Homosexual activity -- means two persons of the same sex are embracing/kissing. If they do more than that, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Cross Dresser -- Means someone is dressing as the opposite sex. If they do more than that on stage the listing would include the corresponding "sexual activity" and/or "homosexual activity" as well.

Cross Gender -- A man is playing a female part or a woman is playing a man's part.

Suggestive Dancing -- means dancing contains sexually suggestive moves.

Derogatory (category added Fall 2012) Language or circumstances where women or people of a certain race are referred to or treated in a negative and demeaning manner.

Other content matters such as torture, suicide, or rape will be noted, with details revealed only as necessary in the review itself.

The term "throughout" added to any of the above means it happens many times throughout the show.

Reviewing Policy

I receive free seats to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows made available to all voting members of the Outer Critics Circle. Journalistically, I provide an unbiased review and am under no obligation to make positive statements. Sometimes shows do not make tickets available to reviewers. If these are shows my readers want to know about I will purchase a ticket. If a personal friend is involved in a production, I'll let you know, but it won't influence a review. If I feel there is a conflict, I won't review their portion of the production.

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