Four

Synopsis

A sweltering Fourth of July night in Hartford, Connecticut, where fireworks illuminate secrets and desires usually kept hidden in the shadows.

Joe, a closeted middle-aged professor, and June, a curious teenage boy, navigate the treacherous waters of forbidden attraction. Across town, Joe’s daughter Abigayle finds herself entangled with Dexter, a street-smart drug dealer whose bravado masks his own vulnerabilities. As the night unfolds, these four souls orbit each other in a delicate dance of longing, fear, and the desperate need for human connection.

Christopher Shinn’s Four crackles with the intensity of unspoken truths and simmering tensions. Through its intimate, often uncomfortable encounters, the play peels back layers of racial, sexual, and class expectations, exposing the raw nerves beneath. The holiday setting serves as an ironic backdrop, highlighting the isolation these characters feel amidst celebrations of national unity.