Review: Concussed: Four Days in the Dark

Jack Gallagher is, first and foremost, a storyteller who can tell a sad story or a funny one and keep audiences enthralled. Concussed: Four Days in the Dark, now playing at the B Street Theatre, is funny and touching—and always entertaining.

This show’s premise derives from a concussion the comedian suffered after riding his bike when he collided with a car and hit his head. After, Gallagher went three days with what seemed like minor symptoms before he realized things were not right. The doctor diagnosed traumatic brain injury and sent him home to lie in a darkened room for four days with no computer, no books, no TV and no music. Instead, he was instructed to allow his brain time to heal.

Out of this experience came a stream of reflections on life, love, growing older, and parenting, all told in a manner that will have you laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. It’s a fabulous 90 minutes, performed by a consummate storyteller who knows how to work a theater in the round. Throughout the show, he kept the entire room focused on his words, never allowing anyone to see his back for more than a few seconds.