Presented by A Short Leap Theatre Company
Recommended for ages 16+
How do we stay connected when the air gets thin?
That's the question at the heart of Amy Herzog's Pulitzer Prize finalist, 4000 Miles.
After a cross-country bike trip ends in devastating loss, 21-year-old Leo arrives unexpectedly at the Manhattan apartment of his outspoken 91-year-old grandmother, Vera. They couldn't be more different—separated by seventy years, politics, perspective, and pain. Yet over the course of one month, the two discover that healing doesn't always come from having the right words. Sometimes it begins simply by staying.
With humor as sharp as it is gentle, and honesty that never flinches, Herzog crafts a deeply moving portrait of grief, family, and the unlikely people who help us carry what feels impossible to bear. 4000 Miles reminds us that connection isn't found in perfect agreement, but in the courage to remain present for one another.
As part of A Short Leap Theatre Company's Breathe season, 4000 Miles asks what becomes possible when we choose compassion over certainty, listening over fixing, and presence over distance. In a world that encourages us to retreat from one another, this quietly extraordinary play offers something more radical: the belief that sharing our breath—and our burdens—can still change us.
The Den Theatre and comedy club is pleased to host 4000 Miles on October 8-24, 2026 at 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood.
Tickets are currently available at thedentheatre.com or by calling (773) 697-3830.
