PCS Theater continues its 115th season with the acclaimed contemporary musical Dear Evan Hansen, featuring a unique double-cast production that places authenticity and lived experience at the center of this deeply human story. Performances run September 18 through October 4, 2026 at PCS Theater on their Main Stage at The Players Club of Swarthmore.
Featuring a book by Steven Levenson and music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Dear Evan Hansen explores connection, isolation, family, grief, social media, and the complicated human desire to be seen and understood. The musical follows Evan Hansen, a high school student struggling to find his place in the world, whose life changes dramatically when a misunderstanding grows into something far larger than he ever imagined.
For director Anne Marie Scalies, bringing the production to the PCS stage began with a commitment to authenticity:
“It was vital to me that teenagers play teenagers and real-life parents play the parents,” says Scalies. “Every hesitation, every argument, every awkward silence, every attempt by a parent to reach a child, and every attempt by a teenager to be understood has been informed by lived experience.”
The production also examines how quickly perception can become accepted as reality, particularly in a world shaped by social media. “A story is shared, a post is liked, a comment is repeated, and suddenly perception can take on a life of its own,” Scalies says. “In a world where social media gives everyone a voice, we sometimes forget that there is a human being on the other side of the screen.”
That message extends beyond the characters onstage. Dear Evan Hansen asks audiences to consider the impact of online interactions, the mental health challenges that can exist behind carefully constructed public images, and the complicated relationships between parents and their children. Parents may desperately want to protect their children, but love alone cannot always shield someone from the struggles taking place within them. At the same time, young people may not always have the language to communicate what they are experiencing.
PCS Theater’s production is presented with two companies, named in recognition of the musical’s Philadelphia-area songwriting team, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
The production features two rotating casts in several principal roles. The Pasek Cast features Michael Gibson as Evan Hansen, Liz Murgidi as Heidi Hansen, Isabella Box as Zoe Murphy, Max Keating as Connor Murphy, Liz Wheeler as Cynthia Murphy, and Brian Walden as Larry Murphy. The Paul Cast features Landyn Pollard as Evan Hansen, Rebecca Buswell as Heidi Hansen, Serena Barone as Zoe Murphy, Dylan Attas as Connor Murphy, Deirdre McGettigan Henry as Cynthia Murphy, and Rob Henry as Larry Murphy. Appearing with both casts are Will Bryan as Jared Kleinman, Amaya Howard as Alana Beck, with Nina Kilgore, Erin Corey, Gloria Rose, Ari MacDonald, and Shawn Weaver in the Ensemble. The Pasek Cast performs September 18, 20, 26 at 7:30 p.m., 27, and October 2, while the Paul Cast performs September 19, 25, 26 at 2:00 p.m., October 1, and October 3.
The creative team also includes Karla Bradley Manhard, Choreographer; Nina Kilgore, Assistant Choreographer; Danielle Lachall, Assistant Director; J. Tyler Atkinson, Stage Manager; Chas Thomas, Assistant Stage Manager, Patrick Murray and J. Tyler Atkinson, Lighting Design; Lee Longenberger, Sound Design; Katie VanNewkirk, Properties; Phil Vecchioli and Anne Marie Scalies, Set Design; Justin Walsh, Projections; Shawn Weaver, Vocal Direction; Mikayla Cook, Costume Design; Ally Perez and Danielle Marone, Producers.
Adding to the emotional power of Dear Evan Hansen is a live orchestra under the direction of Music Director and Conductor Jeff Smith. The production’s contemporary score will be performed live by Nate Newlin on bass; Jerry Gormley on drums; Ahmet Erispaha and Gene Whitaker on guitar; Tyler Meil and Valentina Madaffari on violin; Christa Levko on viola; and Jane Roberts and Jack Vice on cello. Under Smith’s musical direction, the orchestra provides the musical heartbeat of the production, bringing the soaring score and its most intimate moments to life alongside the performers onstage.
Dear Evan Hansen explores complex and potentially sensitive themes, including suicide and suicide loss, anxiety, depression and other mental health struggles, grief, social isolation, bullying, family conflict, deception, emotional distress, and the pressures and harmful effects of social media. The production also includes strong language and emotionally intense situations. Suggestion of suicide occurs offstage but is central to the story and is discussed throughout the production.
Audience discretion is encouraged. If you or someone you know is struggling or experiencing thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7.
Accessibility at PCS Theater
PCS Theater is committed to making live theatre accessible to members of the community. PCS is a member of the Art-Reach ACCESS Program, which helps make arts and cultural experiences more accessible to individuals and families who qualify for the program.
PCS Theater also offers AirCaps Smart Glasses, a captioning technology designed to assist patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing. A limited number of smart glasses are available for patrons to borrow through the box office, allowing live captions to be viewed through the lenses during the performance.
In addition, ListenWIFI assisted-hearing devices are available to help patrons hear the production more clearly. Patrons interested in accessibility services are encouraged to contact the PCS Theater box office for additional information and availability.
About Dear Evan Hansen
Winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Dear Evan Hansen has resonated with audiences through its exploration of loneliness, belonging, family relationships, grief, and the ways technology can simultaneously connect and divide us. With a contemporary score by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and a book by Steven Levenson, the musical asks audiences to look beyond what they see on the surface and consider the stories others may be carrying.
The themes explored in Dear Evan Hansen include mental health struggles, suicide, grief, and emotional distress. If you or someone you know is struggling or needs support, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.