The Passion of Joseph D (1964) well illustrates the problems of the television writer now dedicated to the theatre. The play deals with the Russian Revolution and the role played by Stalin…. Influenced by the expressionists, and Bertolt Brecht in particular, Chayefsky attempted a political burlesque comparable to those frequently seen in German nightclubs.

The play is in the form of historical episodes, often unrelated; actors address the audience directly, and songs and comedy routines interrupt the action. (p. 181)

Had the play maintained [the broad satiric tone of the nightclub scenes], it might have been a bright new form. Chayefsky, however, turns serious and realistic in the scenes with Stalin, who is pictured as a grim, tough, unsmiling bullyboy whose participation in the Revolution satisfies a religious craving. Christ's passion on the Cross and his love of mankind are converted into the bloody passion of Joseph D…. Stalin is...