Dear Evan Hansen FACTS

Synopsis - Act 1

I am giving full credit to Wikipedia on this because that's where I got it from

This is a synopsis on what the musical is about, when I first read it, it was super confusing to me and that;'s my I did some additional research. 

Act 1

Evan Hansen, a teenager who struggles with severe social anxiety, writes a hopeful letter to himself as an assignment from his therapist before the first day of his senior year. His mother Heidi, a busy nurses' aide who attends law school at night, attempts to connect with Evan, but struggles to find common ground with him. She tells him to make new friends by asking people to sign the cast on his arm, which he had broken by falling out of a large tree over the summer. Across town, the wealthy Murphy family—Cynthia, Larry, and their children Zoe and Connor—sit down to breakfast. Zoe and Larry berate Connor for getting high before school, while Cynthia struggles with the fact that her family is falling apart. The two mothers wonder simultaneously how to connect with their sons ("Anybody Have A Map?").

At school, Evan runs into Alana, an ambitious student obsessed with getting into a good college, and Jared, the son of a family friend and the closest thing Evan has to an actual friend. Both Alana and Jared notice his broken arm, but neither one takes Evan up on his offer to sign his cast. Evan has a physical altercation with Connor, prompting Zoe, Evan's longtime crush, to apologize on her brother's behalf. Evan wonders if this is his destiny - to be ignored and an outcast for the rest of his life ("Waving Through A Window").

Evan writes himself another letter, this time about how he's given up on it being a good year and how he wonders if anyone would notice if he wasn't there. He remarks that all his hope is now pinned on Zoe, even though he doesn't know her. While printing out the letter in the school's computer lab, he once again runs into Connor, who is more subdued than he was that morning. He offers to sign Evan's cast, musing that maybe now they can both pretend they have friends. After signing the cast, he reads Evan's letter and becomes furious at the mention of Zoe, thinking Evan intended for him to see the letter in order to hurt him. He storms out, taking the letter with him.

Several days pass with no sign of Connor or Evan's letter, leaving Evan in an intense state of anxiety over what Connor might have done with it. That day, he is called to the principal's office, where Connor's parents are waiting to meet him. They tell Evan that Connor had committed suicide a few days before, with Evan's letter in his pocket. Believing it to be Connor's suicide note, addressed to Evan, they ask Evan if he and Connor were close, as Connor had never mentioned having friends before. Evan attempts to explain but becomes overwhelmed, panicking. Not wanting to further their grief and trying to find a way out of the situation, Evan agrees to go to their house to talk about Connor. He confides all this in Jared, who advises him to just nod and agree. Instead, Evan begins to fabricate an intricate story of his and Connor's friendship after seeing how distraught Cynthia is over the loss of her son. He tells them a fictional version of the day he broke his arm in which Connor was with him the entire day ("For Forever"). Evan claims that he and Connor kept up a secret email correspondence, and after realizing he needs evidence of this, enlists Jared's help in creating fake, backdated email conversations ("Sincerely, Me").

Meanwhile, Heidi reminds Evan that he needs to begin applying for college scholarships, but Evan is too distracted by his fabricated friendship with Connor to take her very seriously. She mentions hearing about Connor's death, but Evan tells her not to worry, that he didn't know Connor. After Evan shows the Murphys Connor's "emails", Cynthia is ecstatic that her son had a friend and asks to see more of the emails, but Larry is more hurt that Connor took his family and his privileged life for granted. Zoe, who was never close to Connor, refuses to mourn him because she truly does not miss her brother due to his abusive behavior towards her ("Requiem"). However, after Evan shows her the "suicide note", Zoe notices that she is mentioned and asks Evan if Connor ever spoke about her. Evan, unable to tell her the truth, tells her all the reasons he loves her, but pretends that Connor said them ("If I Could Tell Her"). Overcome with emotion, he impulsively kisses Zoe, but she throws him out.

Evan notices that people are starting to forget about Connor, and wants to prevent what happened to him from happening to anyone else. Spurred on by his perceived spirit of Connor, Evan enlists Alana and Jared's help in founding "The Connor Project", an organization dedicated to keeping Connor's memory alive and helping those like him. The three pitch the idea to the Murphys, who agree to support the project ("Disappear"). At the official launch of the Connor Project, Evan gives an inspiring speech about his loneliness and friendship with Connor, which goes viral after it is posted online. Zoe, overcome by the impact her brother and Evan have had on people, kisses him ("You Will Be Found").

Continued in the next chapter ...