Tennessee Rep Presents Regional Premiere of THE COLUMNIST, Opening 4/20

Tennessee Repertory Theatre will present the regional premiere of The Columnist by Tony and Pulitzer-winning playwright David Auburn. The Columnist runs April 20 through May 4 at TPAC's Johnson Theater (with preview performances April 18 - 19).

David Auburn's The Columnist--born in Tennessee Rep's Ingram New Works Festival--paints a portrait of legendary and controversial Joseph Alsop and of a rapidly changing America. For decades, Alsop was the most powerful journalist in the country: beloved, feared, and courted in equal measure by the Washington social world at whose center he sat. As the country and the world of journalism moved into a time of dizzying changes and drastic shifts, the intense political drama Alsop was embroiled in became deeply personal as well.

Tennessee Rep Producing Artistic Director René D. Copeland says, "I'm proud that, due to our role in the development of the play, Tennessee Rep received a special release to produce The Columnist. This underscores our commitment to bringing this community the best new plays out there, and the timing could not be better as The Columnist will also lead into our Ingram New Works Festival which runs May 8 - 18."

Nashville favorite David Alford returns to Tennessee Rep's stage in the role of Joseph Alsop. Alford says, "Joe Alsop is a dream role. Alsop was a fascinating character in real life... incredibly complex: brilliant, arrogant, charming, lovable, infuriating. Conservative, but supported Kennedy. Passionate about his country, but forced to deny his homosexuality in order to participate publicly in the affairs of his country. It's all incredibly rich stuff. David Auburn has captured all that in the play. It was a thrill to work with him and begin to tap into that when we did the reading, and I can't wait to dive into the character more three-dimensionally in a full production."

In addition to Alford, the production includes Jeff Boyet, Amanda Card, Jenny Littleton, Benjamin Reed, and Patrick Waller.

Since 1985, Tennessee Repertory Theatre has been a critically acclaimed regional theatre, creating the highest quality professional productions and by serving as a prime cultural, educational, and economic resource within the Nashville and Middle Tennessee communities. Tennessee Rep produces work that is designed, built, and rehearsed in Nashville by highly skilled actors, designers, directors, and technicians. A non-profit organization, Tennessee Rep is committed to consistently delivering thought-provoking theatre each year. For more information on the Tennessee Repertory Theatre, please visit www.tennesseerep.org.

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