Review: HEROES OF THE FOURTH TURNING at Broadwater Black Box

Will Arbery’s Pulitzer Prize finalist play HEROES OF THE FOURTH TURNING is a scalding and harrowing look at religious and political fanaticism. Taking place over the course of one night in Wyoming following the 2017 white supremacist Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, four friends, whose mentor has just been elected president of their college, hash out their beliefs and whether they should be defined by them.

Debuting off-Broadway in 2019, the play was a success, being nominated for and winning many awards, with much praise going to Arbery’s deep dive into murky Republican ideas without judging, approving of, or condemning them. Each character is presented with complexity and we are left to decide what we think of them ourselves.

Director Brendan Mulligan uses the space well and allows his actors to breathe into their roles, each of them fully formed and believable. We get to know each of them deeply, warts and all. The set design by Andreas Theoharides is fairly simple in the black box, just a porch and a campfire outside it, which works wonderfully, because it allows us to focus wholly on the characters.

And what characters they are. Sickly and empathetic Emily (Mackenna Shults) tries to be supportive of all, but she has a spine when she needs it, shattering your image of her when she delivers an electrifying monologue. Outdoorsy, gun-toting Justin (Jordan Morgan) is Emily’s caretaker, though it’s unclear what that means about their relationship. Teresa (Dakota Bailey) is a fiery activist just looking for something to set her off, and desperate-for-connection Kevin (Ryan Lisman) is a nebbish who can’t quite find his footing. Each of the actors is spectacular, their fractious ensemble seeming like real humans who have known each other for years and yet still don’t know their place within their circle.

When Gina (Dawn Alden), the newly anointed university president (and Teresa’s mother), arrives mid-show, she is gas on the emotional dumpster fire that has been simmering so far. Alden is subtly (and sometimes not-so-subtly) terrifying with her acidic rhetoric about politics and religion. They’re an excellent, passionate ensemble with Lisman and Alden being particular standouts. The only quibble is they were all a bit too quiet. It would be helpful if the actors either projected or were miked.

The show reminded me of the 2022 psychological thriller “Soft & Quiet,” which, if you haven’t seen it, I suggest streaming as soon as possible while knowing absolutely nothing about it. Both stories start so gently then insidiously pull you into their webs of horror so that you hardly know what’s happening.

Political and politically motivated, this quintet of characters offers a blistering two-hour presentation on how extremist religious views can warp minds, even that of intellectuals. It’s a smart, timely, and timeless script that is both illuminating and alarming.

Photos by Angel Moreno.

Reader Reviews

To post a comment, you must register and login.

Don't Miss a Los Angeles News Story
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...