Heroes of the Fourth Turning
- Written by Will Arbery
- Directed by Danya Taymor
Will Arbery is a playwright from Texas + Wyoming + seven sisters. Playwrights: Heroes of the Fourth Turning, which was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist and one of the best plays of 2019 by The New York Times, Vulture, Time Out, and more. Other plays include Plano (Clubbed Thumb), Evanston Salt Costs Climbing (New Neighborhood), Wheelchair (3 Hole Press). He’s a member of New Dramatists, and an alum of The Working Farm at SPACE on Ryder Farm, P73’s Interstate 73, Colt Coeur, Youngblood, and Clubbed Thumb’s Early Career Writers Group. He's currently the Tow Foundation Playwright-in-Residence at Playwrights Horizons. His plays have received additional support from NYTW, The Vineyard, Ojai Playwrights Conference, Cape Cod Theater Project, The New Group, The Bushwick Starr, Alliance/Kendeda, and Tofte Lake Center. Most recently, he served as a story consultant on Succession (HBO). MFA: Northwestern. BA: Kenyon College. willarbery.com
Danya Taymor is a New York-based director and translator. Recent work: Jeremy O. Harris’ “Daddy” (Vineyard, The New Group), Danai Gurira’s Familiar (Steppenwolf), Antoinette Nwandu’s Pass Over (LCT3/Steppenwolf), Martyna Majok’s queens (LCT3), Justin Kuritzkes’ The Sensuality Party (The New Group), Nathan Yungerberg’s Esai's Table (Cherry Lane Mentor Project), Brian Watkins’ Wyoming (Lesser America) and My Daughter Keeps Our Hammer, Sarah Gancher’s The Place We Built and LEGOM’s I Hate Fucking Mexicans (The Flea). Her production of Antoinette Nwandu’s Pass Over (Steppenwolf) was filmed by Spike Lee and premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. An alumna of the Women’s Project Lab, Sundance Theatre Lab, Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab, Van Lier Fellowship and the 2050 Fellowship at NYTW. She is a Usual Suspect at NYTW, an artist in residence at TFANA, a member of Ensemble Studio Theatre an associate artist at the Flea, and a recipient of the Cullman Award for Extraordinary Creativity from Lincoln Center. Education: Duke University.
It’s nearing midnight in Wyoming, where four young conservatives have gathered at a backyard after-party. They’ve returned home to toast their mentor Gina, newly inducted as president of a tiny Catholic college. But as their reunion spirals into spiritual chaos and clashing generational politics, it becomes less a celebration than a vicious fight to be understood. On a chilly night in the middle of America, Will Arbery’s haunting play offers grace and disarming clarity, speaking to the heart of a country at war with itself.
2020 Pulitzer Prize Finalist
Laura Jellinek
Scenic DesignSarafina Bush
Costume DesignIsabella Byrd
Lighting DesignJustin Ellington
Sound DesignJ. David Brimmer
Fight DirectorMarisa Levy
Production Stage ManagerMadolyn Friedman
Assistant Stage ManagerPlaywrights Horizons: The Light Years, A Life (Lortel Award, Drama Desk nomination), Marjorie Prime, Your Mother’s Copy… Broadway: Marvin’s Room. Other Off-Broadway: The Antipodes, Everybody (Signature); The Nether (MCC, Lortel nomination); Buzzer (The Public); The Wolves (Playwrights Realm). Regional: Yale Rep, Bard Summerscape, Cincinnati Playhouse, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Williamstown, Southcoast Rep. Opera: Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Atlanta Opera. Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Design.
Broadway: Cabaret, An Enemy of the People, Romeo+Juliet. Recent or Notable Off-Broadway: Churchill short plays, Grief Camp, Infinite Life; Primary Trust; Epiphany; Sanctuary City; Heroes of the Fourth Turning, Corsicana, Plano. International: Cabaret (West End), Weather Girl. Awards: two-time 2024 Tony nominee, Drama Desk Special Award, three Lortels, two Obies, Henry Hewes, Olivier nomination. Proud USA829 member, pay equity and sustainability advocate. www.isabellabyrd.design
Jeb Kreager
JustinJulia McDermott
EmilyMichele Pawk
GinaZoë Winters
TeresaJohn Zdrojeski
Kevin
Playwrights debut. Broadway: Oslo. Off-Broadway: Oslo (Obie Award), The Sister (Fourth Street). Regional: Frozen (InterAct - Barrymore Award), The Aliens, (Theatre Exile), The Four of Us (1812 Productions). Film: Funny Bunny, Hell House LLC. TV: “Mindhunter,” “The Punisher” (Netflix); “One Dollar,” “Outsiders,” “Boardwalk Empire.” Founding member of the Obie Award-winning New Paradise Laboratories (Philadelphia), co-creating and performing in 15 original works presented worldwide. Education: Virginia Tech, Teatro Piccolo Orologio, Circle in the Square.
Playwrights debut. International: Epiphany (Druid Theater, Galway International Arts Festival 2019). At The Juilliard School: Queens, Into the Woods, Evergreens, Richard II, Top Girls, Queens Boulevard, The Three Sisters, Julius Caesar, Once in a Lifetime, Blue Window, Pericles. Education: The Juilliard School Drama Division.
Playwrights: A Small Fire (Drama Desk & Lucille Lortel nominations), Prayer for my Enemy. Broadway: Beautiful, Hairspray, Losing Louie, Mamma Mia, Hollywood Arms (Tony Award), Chicago, Seussical, Cabaret (Drama Desk & Outer Critics’ Circle nominations), Triumph of Love, Crazy for You (Drama Desk nomination), Mail. Select Off- Broadway: Picnic, 17 Orchard Point, Giant, The Paris Letter (Drama Desk nomination), Hello Again, Merrily We Roll Along. Michele is Board Chair of American Theater Group, and proud faculty member at Wagner College.
Playwrights debut. Off-Broadway: White Noise (The Public); The Last Match (Roundabout); The Harvest, 4000 Miles, Shows for Days (LCT3/Lincoln Center Theater); Small Mouth Sounds (Signature); Red Speedo, Love and Information (NYTW); An Octoroon (Soho Rep.); Much Ado About Nothing (The Public’s Shakespeare in the Park); Love Song (59E59). Film: Gray Dog, In the Family, Under, Giant. TV: “Succession,” "Instinct," "The Good Fight," "Madam Secretary," “Elementary,” “Law & Order.” Member: NYTW Usual Suspects, LCT Angels Artists.
Playwrights debut. Off-Broadway: Before We’re Gone (13th Street Theatre), Monster (Potomac Theatre Project). Regional: Romeo and Juliet (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, Huntington Theatre Company), 10x10 (BarringtonStage Company), The Kite Runner (New Repertory Theatre). TV: “Billions,” “Madam Secretary,” “The Code.” Education: NYU (MFA) and Boston University (BFA).
More About This Show
Critic’s Pick! Astonishing and riveting. Heroes risks a rare stage subject: Christian conservatism. A red-state unicorn.
★★★★★ A perfect production that left me with my heart in my mouth.