Pre-existing Condition – 10 September 2026

Pre-existing Condition perfectly captures the blurred lines of post traumatic existence in its portrayal of a domestic violence survivor and her struggle to take in new information in the wake of the incident. A large cast of characters is played by four actors, and Maria Dizzia’s directorial choice to keep them in the same costumes really helps capture the haze of confusion intimate partner violence survivors often feel about which sources to listen to about next steps. After a while, the therapist sounds like the group leader who sounds like the friend who sounds like a fling who sounds like a mother. It all blends together, just like real life. The narrative power of Pre-existing Condition lies in the way it encapsulates the audience in the protagonist’s experience. As more and more information overwhelms the character, the audience gets caught up in the whirlwind of too many sources of advice and too much information— none of which is helpful towards processing the protagonist’s profound surprise to find herself someone a man can hit.

Lupita Nyong’o is an absolute visionary in her interpretation of her role as the protagonist of Pre-existing Condition. She is exceptionally gifted at portraying active listening on stage, and her character’s reactions look natural and real. Her pain and confusion are palpable to the audience. The extent of her immersion in this role was vividly apparent in her eyes, which flashed with suppressed fire as her character tried to navigate her rage with equanimity and dignity. There’s a moment in which this character expresses her shame because she thinks of women who get hit by their partners as trash. In survival mode, she thinks that this means she must redefine herself as trash to fit her standard, rather than redefine her standard to fit herself as a strong woman. This role is made all the more challenging by the internal journey Nyong’o must approach starting from innocent ignorance all over again for every performance. It is a role that demands a lack of understanding/clarity, as opposed to a role where a performer can apply new insights as the run progresses. Nyong’o clearly understands this and takes the assignment seriously

As mentioned prior, the characters remain in the same costumes (Enver Chakartash) throughout the show, and the set (Cate McCrea) stays the same too— a blank space, everywhere and nowhere. It’s a space that at times resembles what’s taking place in it (ex. therapy groups) and at other times is truly just an accommodating chair when the characters could be anywhere. Lighting design (Isabella Byrd) gets the most latitude, and she uses it to distinguish between the protagonist’s outer fluorescent-lit reality and her inner tumultuous darkness.

Interpreting the show as an audience member comes down to what you make of it. The blurry confusion is incredibly accurate to what survivors of domestic violence describe themselves as having felt in the time after their respective assaults. But as a piece of theatre, there are moments of confusion that are literal— who is Nyong’o’s character talking to? Wanting the audience to feel confused is playing with fire, and Marin Ireland and Maria Dizzia do it brilliantly, but there are still a few places where the audience falls out of the performance due to a lack of clarity. The moment where the protagonist is talking to her father was one example— it felt like a game changer for a second. Had we been mistaken about who hit her? Was it her father, not her lover? Though this confusion was resolved fairly quickly, the experience of it took the audience out of the show and had people searching for a reentry point.

All in all, Pre-existing Condition holds up a highly unique experience in how it immerses the audience in what it feels to go through a traumatic event. Lupita Nyong’o is a brilliant guide and protagonist, and her companions as the world moves around her are fully committed. It is a treat to see this level of performance up close, and another to feel the story intimately, as it if were your own.

I attended this performance on a press pass from DKC/O&M.