Heroes of the Fourth Turning

by Will Arbery
November 5 – 22, 2026
at the 59er Speakeasy

A backyard party. A coming war. You’re close enough to hear every word.

Pull a chair into the shadows and listen in on a late-night backyard party in Wyoming.

It’s August 2017, one week after Charlottesville and two days before a total solar eclipse. Four young conservatives have stayed late after celebrating their mentor, Dr. Gina Presson, newly inaugurated as president of the small Catholic college that shaped them.

Justin, a Marine Corps veteran whose quiet faith hides more than it shows
Emily, Gina’s daughter, trapped in chronic pain and suppressed rage
Kevin, possessed by a loneliness he can’t drink away
Teresa, a rising conservative influencer who brings home a warning: war is coming

Teresa’s proof is the “fourth turning,” a theory popular on the far right that American history moves in 80-year cycles, each ending in catastrophe. By that theory, the next one is happening now.

As the bottles empty and the night gets colder and darker, the friends turn on each other and on what they believe.

Maia Rychlik as Teresa addresses Justin Rubenstein, Jeremiah Walter and Rose Mitchell on the backyard porch in Heroes of the Fourth Turning

You’re at the Party

SET’s staging puts you in the backyard, just an arm’s length from the characters. You’re right there, witnessing, but helpless to intervene.

The cast of Heroes of the Fourth Turning gathered in the backyard late at night

“When I first read the script I felt uneasy, and I wanted to lean into that feeling.”
Matt Radcliffe, Director

Accolades

2020 Pulitzer Prize finalist
Obie Award for Playwriting
Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play
New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play

What Critics Say

Praised across the political spectrum:

“A formally lovely, subtly horrifying play about the death rattle of ideologies and the thin line between devotion and delusion.” The New Yorker
“As exciting and challenging… as any new play I’ve ever reviewed.” The Wall Street Journal
“Breathtaking.” Rod Dreher, The American Conservative

Performance Schedule

November 5 – 22, 2026

Thursday – Saturday, November 5 – 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday – Saturday, November 12 – 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 15 at 2:00 p.m.
Monday, November 16 at 7:30 p.m. (Pay-What-You-Will Industry Night)
Thursday – Saturday, November 19 – 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 22 at 2:00 p.m. (Closing)

Location

The Fifty-Niner Speakeasy

The Dice Guys Game Store
2409 W Colorado Avenue
Colorado Springs, CO 80904

Tucked into historic Old Colorado City, The Fifty-Niner is a hidden speakeasy behind The Dice Guys Game Store. Guests should enter through The Dice Guys on West Colorado Avenue and let the retail clerk know they are here to see the show. Come early to have dinner and drinks before the show.

Content Advisory

Contains transphobic and racist language, discussion of abortion and white supremacist violence, depictions of heavy drinking and smoking, strong language, and loud noises including simulated gunshots. Recommended for ages 16+.