Written by orange• April 29, 2025• 5:38 am• CSUF, CSUF Spot, fullerton, Review, Theater, Uncategorized

CSUF Spot presents: Heroes of the Fourth Turning @ CSUF – Review

photo credit: Courtesy of CSUF Spot

Written by Patrick Chavis

CSUF Spot’s presentation effectively conveys much of what makes this piece so powerful, but it’s limited in certain aspects of performance and creative execution. Even so, it could not contain the powder keg of talent that exploded in some spellbinding moments on the Arena Stage at CSUF.

Heroes of the Fourth Turning is a play about old friends who reunite at their alma mater, a Catholic college in Wyoming, to celebrate the promotion of their former teacher. What first starts as a celebration turns into a heavy discussion about what it means to be Catholic and conservative in America.

I’m pretty familiar with this play by Will Abery. I’ve seen it live before and have read the text. Although not much happens in the show, the entire play unfolds throughout one night in a single location. The characters are so well-drawn, and the topics and politics behind the conversation remain topical even now, despite the play debuting in 2019. With the right direction and acting behind it, there’s a compelling and entertaining show in Heroes of the Fourth Turning, which is probably why it was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize —a notable achievement, to say the least.

Story/Sound Design/Direction/Lighting:

Directed by Will Collins, the piece is largely well thought out, and it’s easy to comprehend what’s happening between the characters. Collins’s sound design was on point almost the entire show, except for a minor timing error with a gunshot. The painfully loud, drowning sound, for which this play is known, is perfect, as well as the natural forest sounds of crickets and other various atmospheric sounds. There were missed opportunities in dramatic lighting and pacing issues, as well as blocking in certain moments that could have contributed to enhancing what was already there, which was quite good to begin with.

Set Design:

A moonlit backyard design by Associate Scenic Designer Caroline Lovett featured an outline of dried wheat near the back. Near the front, there was a red trundle couch. On the right, there was a black door and a step leading up to it. To the left of the stage, foldable camping chairs were arranged around a small campfire. The use of what appeared to be blue Christmas lights in the back, symbolizing stars, added a lovely ambiance.

Acting:

The tension and the back and forth between Justin (Samuel R. J. Hanke) and Kevin (Cameren Foley) near the latter half of the play is incredibly engrossing, and there’s a humor that manifests when Justin’s stoic matter-of-fact persona clashes with Kevin’s more open-minded, philosophical prodding, especially as the play gets going.

Emma Camille Ignacio (Teresa) and Gina (Savannah Haislip) act off each other well in one of the most charged and, in my estimation, difficult moments in the play.

What’s so awesome about the stage, even when you know it’s coming, you never know what you are gonna get. And I was not ready for this intense and expressive performance from Ella Njike-Chtien (Emily), it was so uncomfortable watching her onstage but in all the right ways.

This production’s run is over, but if you’re in the Fullerton area and interested in supporting smaller indie creators in the area, you can find CSUF Spot’s latest performances at the link below.