An Improving ‘Condition’

Write what you know, the old adage tells us. But that task isn’t always as simple as it sounds. Certainly, it required courage for Marin Ireland, an actress long admired for her work in theater and film, to draw on her personal bout with domestic violence to craft “Pre-Existing Condition,” a one-act play that premiered off-Broadway two years ago.At that time, several other accomplished performers took turns playing a character identified in the script as A, a woman trying to find her way back to some semblance of normalcy after being assaulted by her boyfriend. As was widely reported, Ms. Ireland had experienced such abuse more than a decade earlier; she had slapped the man first, she admitted, but two days later, he hit her with, predictably, far greater force.This is basically what happens to A, who in a new production at Greenwich House Theater is again being portrayed by a rotating list of noted actresses, among them Ms. Falco, Phillipa Soo, Susannah Flood, and Hari Nef. Through September 26, the role belongs to Lupita Nyong’o, who earned fame and an Academy Award for her performance in the 2013 movie “12 Years a Slave” and has since drawn acclaim in numerous stage outings, including last year’s Shakespeare in the Park production of “Twelfth Night.”Having enjoyed Ms. Nyong’o’s work in that staging and others, I was looking forward to watching her tackle A — despite misgivings about the play itself, which didn’t impress me as much when I first saw it in 2024. Reviewing it at that time, I observed, “While Ms. Ireland has proven herself capable of great nuance as an actress…her writing here can seem ham-fisted, or too neatly tailored to confront stereotypes or stoke outrage.” I added, “It doesn’t help that we learn relatively little about the man who attacked A, or their relationship.”At a recent preview of the new production — which is, like the previous one, directed by Maria Dizzia, also known and celebrated primarily for her acting — I was less bothered by these factors. This was likely, at least in part, because I was already familiar with the material. But it may also be that Ms. Ireland and Ms. Dizzia have abandoned their initial strategy of having the actress playing A read from a script, which I found mannered and distracting.That’s not to say that the revived “Condition” is a revelation. Ms. Nyong’o, to no surprise, proves a charming and sympathetic presence, but those qualities can’t transcend the platitudes that weigh down the script. That burden is shared by three other players who juggle various roles, from A’s mother to leaders of a support group to men she dates while recovering from her trauma.As was the case two years ago, these parts are handily managed by Greg Keller, Dael Orlandersmith, and Sarah Steele. Mr. Keller injects welcome humor as the mom while handling a diverse array of male characters with necessary delicacy. Ms. Orlandersmith brings warmth and authority to the role of a therapist, while Ms. Steele is pert and chilling as a friend who defends A’s ex, even admitting, “We’ve gotten really close lately. He’s going through a lot too, you know.”Like A, these men and women are not identified by name. Ms. Ireland, to her credit, doesn’t provide unwieldy exponential dialogue; the various ways they figure into A’s life are revealed naturally and with grace. Still, “Pre-Existing Condition” retains its flaws, even as it remains, undeniably, a testament to its author’s bravery.

An Improving ‘Condition’

An Improving ‘Condition’

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