Director Note: THE COUNTER
4th Wall Theatre Company’s Regional Premiere production of THE COUNTER by Meghan Kennedy runs from February 19 - March 21, 2026. You can learn more about the show and reserve tickets at this link.
When I read THE COUNTER for the very first time, it felt like it struck my soul and spoke directly to me. I knew it was a story not only that I wanted and needed to work on, but that other people needed to hear. We have become a society that is not only rushed, but also hidden behind the many barriers we put up. Human connection seems so different than it once was, especially after screens and the pandemic, doesn’t it? THE COUNTER is a story about what can happen when two people sit face to face and decide to take a risk and be vulnerable with one another.
Paul and Katie meet in a familiar place. A café counter, a cup of coffee, a routine that feels safe and predictable. Their conversations begin lightly, filled with small talk and humor, the kind that passes the time without asking too much. But over the course of the play, something shifts. One honest moment and one risk taken opens the door to another, and what begins as a casual connection slowly deepens into something more meaningful.
This play lives in the quiet spaces between words, where people choose vulnerability over habit and listening becomes an act of care. As Paul and Katie begin to share parts of themselves they usually keep hidden, they discover that closeness can be both comforting and unsettling. Being seen brings connection, but it also brings risk.
At its heart, THE COUNTER asks us to consider how relationships change when we choose to come out from the safety of just going through the motions, and we allow ourselves to be present with one another. When was the last time you stepped out of routine, or stepped out from behind the barriers you have built, and into something deeper like trusting someone new? Or even trusting someone you have known for a very long time? When we take a risk and dig deeper with the people who have been placed in our path, a simple conversation can become a lifeline, if we let it.
In staging this production, we focused on simplicity and truth. As a team, we spent a lot of time digging into the background of each character and developing the complexity of these human relationships. The counter may be a small, seemingly insignificant space, but the moments that unfold across it are deeply human and expansive. I hope this story invites you to slow down, lean in, and recognize the quiet courage it takes to open your heart to another person.
Christy Watkins
Director of THE COUNTER
