Dear Evan Hansen

Act One

Evan Hansen is a young man who suffers from severe social anxiety. On the first day of senior year, he writes himself a letter as per his therapist’s recommendation. His mother, Heidi, is a single mom working two jobs. She tries to connect with her son, but they have a hard time reaching one another. Meanwhile, the Murphys (a wealthy family across town) struggle with their own problems: son Connor shows up to the breakfast table high. Cynthia, the matriarch, wonders if she’s doing something wrong (“Anybody Have a Map?”).

At school, Evan has a brief conversation with classmates Alana and Jared. Jared is the closest thing Evan has to an actual friend, but neither of the teens know him very well. Evan manages to catch the attention of Connor, who behaves aggressively. His sister Zoe (Evan’s crush) apologizes to Evan. He looks after her, wondering if he will remain on the outside forever (“Waving Through a Window”).

Evan heads to the computer lab to print his letter. He has