Hundred Days, the first production of Know Theatre’s 18th season, defies categorization. Of course, it’s a play. But the performance is as much an Indie Rock concert as it is a dramatic work. Settling into Know’s 100-seat auditorium, you’ll see a multi-level stage ready for music: microphone set-ups, a drum kit, a snare drum, a cello, a keyboard, an accordion and several guitars. As Abigail and Shaun Bengson stride onstage, they are accompanied by five musicians. Abigail describes a dream she had before meeting Shaun, and you wonder if this is just to draw us in before they get down to the actual storytelling. But it’s a preface to a powerful love story, rooted in theirs but taking on a life of its own.
They quickly launch into songs — “Vows” and “My Skin is Made” — as their personal story unfolds. Their chance meeting was a case of love at first sight, “This Moment.” Shaun shares his excitement with a friend and we’re transported to their wedding three weeks later. Abigail’s dream had a fearful twist, “He Fell Down So Slowly,” which becomes the jumping-off point from the reality of the Bengsons to a speculative future that reflects more universal fears of mortality and separation, ultimately assuaged by the reassurance of love and longevity.
They imagine a couple faced with a fatal illness. Rather than panic, they fling themselves into living 60 years together in the 100 days life has allocated. It’s a joyous, poignant tale that uses every dimension of the performers.
Hundred Days runs at Know Theatre July 24 to Aug. 22.
This article appears in Jul 22-28, 2015.
