A beauty of theater is its ability to live in spaces that are not always defined. In musical theater specifically, the boundaries of what makes it to the stage have become increasingly fluid. Lyricists ranging from Andrew Lloyd Webber to Sondheim, Jonathan Larson to Mel Brooks, have increasingly evolved the archetype for modern audiences over recent decades.
Hundred Days, with autobiographical music and lyrics by husband-and-wife Shaun and Abigail Bengson, is a spirited and soulful folk musical now in its DC-area premiere at Dupont Circle’s Keegan Theatre. It features Bradley Foster Smith and Kylie Clare Truby as ShaUn and Abigail, and their chemistry and musical talent flow effortlessly from the stage. Only two of the seven other actor/musicians on stage are named — Barrie (Lydia Gifford) and Reggie (Daniel Ayoola) — yet the entire ensemble’s performances fill Keegan’s 120-seat theater with energy.
Director Christina A. Coakley, music director Lucia LaNave, and choreographer Kayla A. Warren meld the music onto the stage; they make the most of a 75-minute production with one core set, including effectively moving ensemble actors on and offstage as others perform. Helen Hayes Award-winning scenic designer Josh Sticklin is a key part of Coakley’s team; his understated 100 Polaroids on either side of the stage fill the theater with moments from the couple’s life, and a creative array of light fixtures aloft in the Keegan are essential to bringing you into the Bengsons’ story.
That story is of how Shaun and Abigail met, fell deeply in love, got married three weeks later, and became their own band. “Hundred Days” refers to Abigail’s childhood dream that she would meet her soulmate, who would then die after 100 days. It’s an affecting premise; yet the show’s book — by the Bengsons and Sarah Gancher – is a challenge; only after a while do you realize that Shaun (despite getting into a car accident) does in fact have more than 100 days to live, and that the idea of a hundred days is more an existential trauma that defines the relationship, making them value each moment of their life together.
This show is at times complicated to unravel; Hundred Days has music so stirringly beautiful that the words and aspects of the story can get lost. Songs like “Marching in the Wrong Parade” and “Lift Me” are energetic showstoppers, and are contrasted purposefully with more elegiac tunes such as “Three Legged Dog” and “Bells.” This music is so enjoyable; it is just that as a full-fledged play, Hundred Days develops differently.
In turn, the existential question is whether this should have been a theatrical production — or would perhaps be better staged outside the confines of a proscenium theater. This is such a deeply personal story that it could have been told with just the two leads in an intimate folk-music space like Boston’s legendary Club Passim. Or, in its current DC iteration, one wonders whether Keegan Artistic Director Susan Marie Rhea could have considered moving this non-traditional show outside of Keegan’s longtime Church Street home into a nightclub-esque setting. Hundred Days has music that fills the soul, yet deserves a refined vision that places the audience closer to the action.
Running Time: 75 minutes, no intermission.
Hundred Days plays through November 15, 2026, at The Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St NW, Washington, DC, with performances Thursdays–Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3:00 pm, and select Mondays at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $45–$55 (with discounts for seniors 62+ and students/under 25) and available online. Discounted rush tickets are also sold at the door, when available, starting one hour before showtime.
Credits and bios are here (scroll down).
SEE ALSO:
Keegan Theatre announces DC premiere of ‘Hundred Days’ (news story, September 23, 2026)
