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REVIEW: SpeakEasy Stage Company’s ‘Heroes of the Fourth Turning’ delves deep

Posted on September 25, 2022 by The Sleepless Critic

A fire pit and backyard party in the deep woods of Landon, Wyoming seems the perfect setting for fun and good conversation. What could go wrong?

Certainly a relatable situation in contemporary society, Heroes of the Fourth Turning knows how to tackle difficult discussions in a heady and thought provoking way, but leaving the conversation between these five distinct individuals unscathed is seldom a realistic scenario.

Dayna Cousins, Nathan Malin, and Jesse Hinson in ‘Heroes of the Fourth Turning.’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios.

Directed by Marianna Bassham who previously directed SpeakEasy’s acclaimed People Places and Things, SpeakEasy Stage Company presents Will Arbery’s Heroes of the Fourth Turning through October 8 live and in person at the Calderwood Pavilion in Boston, Massachusetts. This show has adult themes. Click here for more information and tickets.

One of the greatest strengths of Heroes of the Fourth Turning is its multifaceted approach to each of its characters. Each individual is complex and struggling in some way, but are rarely stereotyped and the production is not approached in a divisive way. The show is most effective by keeping an open mind.

It is satirical and darkly humorous from its opening scene with Justin, in hunting gear and a plaid shirt, moments away from shooting a deer. This scenario may seem indicative of some the preconceived notions of conservative thinking and the nature of its forthcoming characters, but it gradually thwarts any preconceived expectations. Its strength is not in the black and white, but delves into the gray corners of each of its characters.

Arbery’s script does not shy away from hot button and controversial issues and the atmosphere can get realistically heated and uncomfortable as it would at any gathering in contemporary society. It offers a glimpse of each character’s unique perspective while their struggle unfolds as well as their flaws.

This cast of well rounded characters and their easy camaraderie is a convincing depiction of a group that has known each other for years, especially between Dayna Cousins as Teresa and Nathan Malin as Kevin. The quirks they know about each other demonstrate their long history. Visiting her hometown from New York, Teresa is the seeming intellectual of the group. Portrayed with nerve and intensity, Teresa has adapted a way of know-it-all thinking that makes her cold and unable to see another viewpoint, stereotyping whoever is unlike her. As she boldly discusses her opinions on the world, she lets loose an air of authority, waiting to be challenged.

Nathan Malin, who showed off his impressive dark comedic skills previously in SpeakEasy’s Admissions and The Sound Inside, portrays comical, chatty, and tormented Kevin. Always ready for a party and deep conversation, Kevin longs to know the real secret of happiness in life as he contends with deep seated guilt and loneliness.

Justin, host of the party and veteran, is portrayed with a mix of sympathy and an air of mystery by Jesse Hinson. A seemingly compassionate individual and clearly affected by his past experiences, it doesn’t take long to see there is much more to his story.

Jesse Hinson, Dayna Cousins, and Karen MacDonald in ‘Heroes of the Fourth Turning.’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios.

Battling physical ailments is Emily, an angelic portrayal by Elise Piliponis. Emily is sweet and nonjudgmental, but with her own strong and compassionate views. Bearing the brunt of her daily challenges, Emily is insightful and introverted and would like to do anything but argue.

Emily’s mother and much admired Gina, portrayed with charisma and decorum by Karen MacDonald, is no stranger to complex characters such as in SpeakEasy’s The Children and as Erma in Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End. MacDonald thrives here too, depicting a complicated political figure that has impacted each of the other character’s lives.

Heroes of the Fourth Turning is a fascinating, darkly humorous, and concerning look at human nature and though the ending seems outlandish, the clever script offers an interesting perspective on what happens even among the supposed like minded.

SpeakEasy Stage Company presents Will Arbery’s Heroes of the Fourth Turning through October 8 live and in person at the Calderwood Pavilion in Boston, Massachusetts. This show has adult themes. Click here for more information and tickets.

On the verge of Cohasset Dramatic Club’s 100th season, President Lisa Pratt wrestles with the future of live theatre

Posted on July 23, 2020 by The Sleepless Critic

“It looks like a snapshot in time waiting for life again,” reflects Cohasset Dramatic Club President Lisa Pratt, as we spoke about what the future holds for live theatre and their highly-anticipated production of The Music Man. The show was supposed to take the stage in March on the weekend Covid-19 shut everything down.

Sleepless Critic spoke to Pratt about live theatre, the history of Cohasset Dramatic Club, and how art makes a new start. Cohasset Dramatic Club is hoping to present The Music Man in September 2020 to kick off its 100^th season, but what it will look like still remains to be seen.

Photo courtesy of Cohasset Dramatic Club

Sleepless Critic: I understand you are hoping The Music Man will arrive this fall.

Lisa Pratt: I guess I’m hopeful but realistic. From a parent’s standpoint, I only want to do what’s best and give everyone an outlet for a beautiful and wholesome show. Literally every costume is perfectly intact and every dressing room is waiting for us to come back. It looks like a snapshot in time.

Of course, there’s the financial fallout. We spent all that money to put on a show, but didn’t sell a single ticket. Not that theatre is a money-making venture. We might lose more money producing the show than not, but the art is so important to put back on its feet again that we’ll do whatever we have to do to make it happen.

It’s ironically Cohasset Dramatic Club’s 100^th season this September and we had a bunch of plays in the talking stages. We are scheduled to do Our Town because Our Town author Thornton Wilder portrayed the Stage Manager when it was first being produced in summer stock on our stage which was what Cohasset Town Hall’s Theatre space was before The South Shore Music Circus became their second venue. It was necessary to have more space, so a family named Cook who owned that flat land in Cohasset, donated the land to let the people put up a tent for shows in 1950. The summer stock circuit started in the 40s. It was in and out of the Cohasset Town Hall for 10 years.

Our Town, a relatively simple show to produce, has a fairly large cast. The town election takes place in that space. It works for them and I think it is convenient to have the town officers have their own auditorium attached to them. So, we would bypass a September 1 election and have Our Town before the November 3 election. The final show and the end of our 2021 season would be in March 2021.

Sleepless Critic: I was watching the 1962 film The Music Man a few weeks ago. At one point in the movie, Robert Preston as Harold Hill was told not to go in that house and he replied, “Why? Is it in Quarantine?”

Lisa: Shut the front door! Are you kidding me? That is so funny. We want The Music Man be a live event at this point. It all depends if Covid-19 follows the right path to keep all of us safely sharing space and moving forward. As much as I want it all to happen, I would be devastated if anything came from it and someone got sick. What will it look like?

Sleepless Critic: Theatre has transformed a bit as we’ve been going through what Lin- Manuel Miranda deemed “an intermission.” Some theatres have just stopped and some have turned to other avenues.

Lisa: I feel we have stayed in touch with people who have wanted to study scene work, choreography, dance, and vocal work. In the spring, we created a program called, Live from the Living Room, a free virtual production with option to donate to Cohasset Dramatic Club and people did. We did a special theatrical makeup piece created by Lancôme’s Cara Lee Chamberlain. We have a great friend who is a professional dancer and choreographer for The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon in New York. She also choreographed a large theatrical production of Matilda which took place at the Union Theatre in Minneapolis, one of the biggest regional theatres in the country. She taught a choreography class and we had lots of young families virtually tune in. We did that for about six weeks and then took a break to settle in a bit.

Photo courtesy of Cohasset Dramatic Club

This would have been our 15th consecutive year of offering that summer theater education and performance program for kids ages 8-21. One of the shows we got the rights to produce this summer is Les Miserables with age ranges from 14 to 21 years old. We are excited we are not losing the rights and doing it next year.

‘Les Miserables’ delayed to 2021 Photo courtesy of Cohasset Dramatic Club

Cohasset Dramatic Club has been at the same place for 100 years and thankfully, I haven’t been at the helm of it that long which I think is unique. So many theatres I respect are having a hard time and I am saddened every time a theatre is selling off stuff because they can’t keep it alive anymore or however it works at a professional, regional, or local level. No one goes into this with the amount of time it takes to spend to do any less than the best they can with the resources they have. For that, I am always buoyant when I see theatres at any level doing great things.

Whether we present our work virtually, in person, or on the town green with people sitting further apart from one another, the arts community is committed and alive and it’s so important for so many people to keep it that way.

I’m so proud of this organization that has been through good times and bad whether living on a shoestring budget or having the money to pay for rights for shows before they get to deadline. We’re part of a community that I think we’ll survive. If there is ever a person looking for a rocking chair and we have one, I’ll be the first one to say that you can come get it or I can meet you somewhere. That’s the camaraderie of our combined love of art.

We can do this. Theatre can do it. It has survived through everything.

Click here for more on Cohasset Dramatic Club and its upcoming events.