THE COLUMNIST Struggles to Engage
Joseph Alsop (Philip Earl Johnson), our journalist protagonist, as a character draws similarities to Kushner’s’ Roy Cohn, but is not pathetically endearing or despicably hypocritical or even conflicted enough to hold the fascination that Kushner’s’ depiction of Roy creates. There is little urgency for this character and nothing particularly captivating about him.
Inside THE COLUMNIST Part One: Interview with Phillip Earl Johnson and Kymberly Mellen
From the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning author of Proof, THE COLUMNIST is a drama about power, sex, and betrayal. At the height of the Cold War, Joe Alsop is the nation’s most influential journalist – beloved, feared, and courted by the Washington world. But as the 60s dawn and America undergoes dizzying change, the intense political dramas Joe is embroiled in become deeply personal as well. For this article, Elyse Dolan interviewed two of the actors about the show. THE COLUMNIST runs February 17th through April 1st at Stage 773.