And Then You Die (How I Ran a Marathon in 26.2 Years)

Written and performed by David Hansen

The Robert Moss Theater, 440 Studios

440 Lafayette Street

FringeNYC.org

866-468-7619

 

Review by Hannah Schwartz

 

It can be difficult for performers of solo shows to keep the audience engaged with nothing but a sparse set. In And Then You Die (How I Ran a Marathon in 26.2 Years), a one-man show in the New York International Fringe Festival, David Hansen does not struggle with this problem. Hansen’s story chronologically skips between his experience running the New York City Marathon and the events that brought him there. He runs constantly around the stage and speaks eloquently and continuously. His energy and enthusiasm carry the performance and make it worth watching.

 

Hansen’s show particularly rings true for those who have actually participated in marathons. His depiction of training and running a marathon is incredibly accurate in structure and content. Much like a runner’s mind during the grueling race, the show bounces between memories and the present, with reflections on what brought him there intermingled with the agonizing physical challenges of the running itself. Hansen deftly and imaginatively captures the marathon experience.

 

There are times when the show drags: An unrelated segment in which Hansen sketches a nude teenager takes up an unnecessarily solid portion of the story, and Hansen spends a little too much time changing costumes in complete silence. When he enters the stage huddled in the space blanket bestowed on marathon finishers, he sets the perfect tone of the show, and his enthusiasm and commitment to the part — even while portraying his 13-year-old self — make his clothing irrelevant.

 

Still, And Then You Die is an interesting and accurate depiction of a runner’s life. Hansen is consistently funny, but also hits a poignantly sad note, reaching a depth uncommon to such a short show. Runners (even those not quite up to running 26.2 miles) will get the most out of this performance, but Hansen just might inspire some non-runners to start training for next year’s marathon.