Graphic by Yolanda Fundora

(SUMMIT, NJ) -- Vivid Stage, in residence at Oakes Center at 120 Morris Avenue in Summit, presents The Mighty Four by Catherine Butterfield, a world premiere production about family, friends and politics, from October 2-12, 2025. In the play, the lives of a prominent liberal couple are upended when their son commits a horrific act of racial violence that is caught on video and goes viral.

To their horror, the boy is embraced and made famous by the far right. The other half of The Mighty Four are two old friends whose son has become an activist on the left. Can they remain friends under the circumstances? And how far do you go to protect your child when all of your other relationships are at stake?

Directed by Laura Ekstrand (Livingston), the cast includes Vivid Stage ensemble members Harry Patrick Christian (Montclair), Scott McGowan (Maplewood), and Harriett Trangucci (Summit). It also features guests Joshua T. Crockett (East Orange), Max Evans (Union) and Chantal Jean-Pierre.

Performances take place Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00pm, and Sundays at 2:00pm.  Tickets range from $25 to $42 and are available for purchase online. Performances take place at the Oakes Center (120 Morris Avenue) in Summit, New Jersey. The theatre is wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices are available at all performances. The parking lot is accessible from Ashwood Avenue, behind the theatre.

Special dates: Thursday, October 2, is a preview performance; all tickets are $28. Friday, October 3, has an opening night reception following the show. Sunday, October 5, is Senior Sunday; seniors age 65+ pay $28. Thursday, October 9 is Under 30 Thursday; all patrons under 30 pay $25. Talkbacks follow the October 5 and 12 matinée performances. Sunday, October 12’s matinee will be audio described for patrons with vision loss.

Playwright Catherine Butterfield was born in Manhattan but raised primarily in Minnesota and Massachusetts. She is an accomplished actress, appearing onstage, on television and in film. Her first break as a playwright came with the Manhattan Theatre Club production of Joined At The Head, which she wrote and starred in. Awards include George E. Oppenheimer/New York Newsday Award for Best First Play in the New York area (Joined At The Head), the Kennedy Center-American Express award for Outstanding Promise as a Playwright, the Kaufman & Hart Award for Best New American Comedy (The Sleeper), and the Davie Award for Best New Play in Regional Theatre (Life In The Trees).

Top Of The World was a semi-finalist in the Eugene O'Neill playwriting competition and won the prestigious Edgerton grant. Other produced full length plays include Brownstone, Life Expectancy, It Has To Be You, Where The Truth Lies, Life In The Trees, and Snowing At Delphi. They are published by the Dramatists Play Service, Samuel French, Playscripts, Inc and Smith & Kraus. Joined At The Head appeared in  "Best Plays of 1992." She is a member of the Writer's Guild of America, Actor's Equity, Screen Actors Guild, and the Dramatists Guild of America.

Vivid Stage was founded in 1994 as Dreamcatcher Rep, and is a non-profit professional ensemble of actors who build community with the audience by sharing contemporary, life-affirming stories that challenge, energize and entertain. Their work has at its heart a belief in the essential goodness of people and the power of live performance to connect people through our shared humanity. They expose theatregoers to ideas and lives like and unlike their own with the intention of awakening their imaginations and creating empathy for others. They deepen the experience of all their patrons with personal contact through receptions, talkbacks, and interactive programs.

The company’s activities include mainstage productions, improvisational comedy and cabarets, new play readings, works in a variety of media, and a menu of educational and senior outreach programs.

Vivid Stage’s programs are funded by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, the Shubert and Summit Foundations and many other corporations, foundations and individuals. Vivid Stage is an Equity Producing member of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.

Vivid Stage, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) corporation, incorporated under the laws of the State of New Jersey.