Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – He said, she said: Examining the nature of abuse in the return engagements of PRE-EXISTING CONDITION and THE FORD/HILL PROJECT

• By drediman
• September 22, 2026
• No Comments

Abuse is a slippery topic, especially when you aren’t in the room when it occurs. When “he said, she said” hearsay testimonials become the primary evidence for determining the truth, the resulting scenario can be as messy and murky as it is compelling. Indeed, such “grey” situations make for prismatic drama, as evidenced by the return engagements of a pair of subtly powerful plays that endeavor to examine the nature of abuse — physical, sexual, emotional — and the power dynamics therein with nuance and sensitivity. As per usual, read on for my thoughts.

PRE-EXISTING CONDITION
Greenwich House Theater

First up is the return of Marin Ireland’s Pre-Existing Condition, which this fall takes up residency at the Greenwich House Theater. Most people know Ireland as one of our fiercest stage actresses. Here, she turns her considerable talents to playwriting, using it as a tool to process an unfortunate episode of domestic violence which she had to endured in a previous romantic relationship. Centering on the character of “A” — the stand-in for Ireland — the play seeks to unpack the trauma and unsettling uncertainty induced by the physical and psychological abuse she experienced at the hands of her ex-boyfriend. Alternating between victimhood and quiet rage, A also suffers from severe bouts of self-doubt, particularly as it relates to her guilt over her own culpability in matters. In a series of scenes that seamlessly meld into one another, A bravely processes the situation, dealing with her indecisive feelings through therapy sessions, interactions with friends and family, and even tentative subsequent romantic encounters. Throughout, Ireland’s writing is disarmingly candid and unafraid to explore the “grey” aspects of domestic abuse, examining at it from all angles. Formerly, the actress portraying A performed the role with script in hand, giving the impression of a staged reading. Now, the script is no longer used, giving Maria Dizzia’s incisive production a more polished feel. Pre-Existing Condition features a rotating set of actresses in the central role of A over the course of its run. The decision to do so gives it a sense of universality, allowing the trauma faced by the character to manifest itself in a multitude of voices. At the performance I attended, the role was played by Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o, who is giving a bruised, quietly devastating performance. Rounding out the accomplished cast as various characters in A’s life are Greg Keller, Dael Orlandersmith, and Sarah Steele, all of whom deliver performances of remarkable clarity and perceptiveness.

THE FORD/HILL PROJECT
Brooklyn Academy of Music

Also coming back to the boards for its third engagement is Waterwell’s “docu-theater” production of The Ford/Hill Project (the piece previously played the Public and La MaMa). Created by veteran director Lee Sunday Evans and the great actress Elizabeth Marvel, the work allows audiences to take in, verbatim, the public testimonies of Anita Hill and Christine Blasey Ford in their respective Senate committee hearings — Hill with respect to sexual harassment charges against Justice Clarence Thomas, and Ford with respect to sexual assault charges against Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Although the testimonies are separated by a temporal gulf of three decades, there’s no denying the stark parallels between the two instances. Spliced together from transcripts from these hearings, they find new power and urgency in the intertwined voices of Hill and Ford, especially through the lens of time and what has come since. Invariably, their testimonials come across as articulate and convincing depictions of the harassment and assault they each had to endure, especially when juxtaposed with the bluntly dismissive reactions from Kavanaugh and Thomas, which are also regurgitated verbatim. There’s a great deal of shame in their accounts (at times difficult to sit through), and it’s clear that it took immense bravery and much soul-searching — especially with their careers and personal lives on the line — to come forward with their stories. The Ford/Hill Project is a sobering and eye-opening work of unabashed political theater, thanks in large part to the clear-eyed simplicity of Evans’ staging. The performances from the accomplished quartet of actors — Marvel, Teagle Bougere, Josh Hamilton, and Gabby Beans — generate their potency largely by staying clear of histrionics, merely functioning as conduits for the trailblazing words courageously uttered by Hill and Ford (indeed, there’s even a stretch when Bougere and Hamilton step into Hill and Ford’s shoes).