Mad Horse Theatre presents “Heroes of the Fourth Turning” by Will Arbery from Feb. 8 through March 3 at 24 Mosher St. in South Portland.

Shows will be presented at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 11 and March 3; and 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 18 and 25.

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.

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.

This intense, thought provoking play, a finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize, tackles subjects not often explored in contemporary drama. “I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t my total intention to leave people feeling like they had to figure it out for a long time. If they could settle it in the space of the theater, then I would have failed,” says Will Arbery, according to a news release from the theater company.

Arbery is an American playwright, screenwriter and TV writer, known for his plays “Heroes of the Fourth Turning,” “Plano,” and “Evanston Salt Costs Climbing.” “Heroes of the Fourth Turning” was a finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and recipient of the 2020 Whiting Award for Drama. In 2016, Arbery won the Obie Reward for playwriting. Arbery grew up in Dallas, Texas, the only boy in a family of seven sisters. He attended Cistercian Preparatory School in Irving, Texas. He received his BA in English and drama from Kenyon College in 2011 and his MFA in writing for the screen and stage from Northwestern University.

“Heroes” invites liberal theatergoers to listen to the other side reflect on the polarized historical moment when supposedly out of the enemy’s earshot,” says Charles McNulty of LA Times. “Heroes of the Fourth Turning” is a remarkable and timely piece of theater that confronts contemporary political and ideological tensions with intellectual rigor and emotional depth,” said Michael M. Landman-Karny of Theater Los Angeles.

Director Christopher Price says “As these students struggle and debate the tenets of Christian Conservatism, Arbery offers us the chance to ponder our own existence; our fears, loves, biases and struggles to make sense of the world around us.”

The cast includes company members: Nick Schroeder, Allison McCall, Savannah Irish, emeritus member Christine Louise Marshall and guest artist Tyler Costigan.  The crew includes company members: Christopher Price (director), Janice Gardner (production manager), Jennifer Halm-Perazone (stage manager), Anna Halloran (costume design), Stacey Koloski (prop design), and Joseph Bearor (sound design) with guest artists; Steve Lupien (set design) and Louise Ambler (lighting design).

This production contains Mature Content, including coarse language, and discussions of religion, sexuality, abortion, race, and gender. It contains: loud and sudden noises, including gunshots (hunting); the use of a non-firing prop gun; and suggested depictions of animal violence.

The entire season of Mad Horse productions are pay-what-you-Decide. That means every production, every performance, every person pays what you decide. Here’s how it works:
Make a no-cost reservation at madhorse.com.

Make a payment as you leave the theater.
We want to remove the financial barrier of seeing theater — particularly new theater work and open the doors to anyone interested in attending a show.

For more information, visit madhorse.com or email madhorseboxoffice@gmail.com.

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