Did you know that in 2009 there were 8 states in the US who were legally allowed to deny women healthcare insurance due to domestic abuse? They saw that abuse as a “pre-existing condition”, forcing women to stay in abusive relationships to save their healthcare plans for themselves and their children. Marin Ireland’s drama Pre-Existing Condition briefly touches upon this wild injustice as part of its story about a woman starting a new life after leaving a similar situation. Directed by Linda Kash, Pre-Existing Condition is an odd start to Coal Mine’s season; though full of potential, it lacks in execution.

Pre-Existing Condition is told through a series of vignettes, though time and place are very rarely indicated through anything physical, save for the relocation of chairs. As previously mentioned, the character known as A (Amy Rutherford) left an abusive relationship. We find out it’s been 6 months, and she’s now trying to see if she can take any legal action against her former abuser. Hitting one dead end after another, A is starting to lose hope. She tries group therapy where she meets B (Lindsay Leese) and C (Diana Bentley). She even tries dating a bit with D (Philip Riccio) even though her past relationship clearly still has an effect on her. Will she be able to move on from this traumatic experience, or will this relationship haunt her forever?

One of my first thoughts once the play began was that people don’t talk like this: Ireland’s script is clunky, and often feels like it’s trying to simulate real conversation but doesn’t succeed. Though the information about A’s situation is given to us in a way which keeps us invested, it also makes the 75 minute run time feel much longer. There’s also a wild bait-and-switch in the penultimate scene which I feel needs to be discussed: so A is waiting at a table, and then D comes and joins her. He says “You look amazing” and so I automatically assumed that this is the long-awaited conversation between A and her abusive ex. We only find out part the way through that no, this is her estranged father. Nowhere had it mentioned previously that her father was missing from her life, and so all of the emotion was drained from the scene for me, even though it’s one of the few times we see A cry about what happened to her. It’s such a strange choice for Ireland to make, especially with no previous mention of A’s father being absent from her life.

Another aspect which I don’t think helped with my confusion about certain parts of the story was the static set and costumes for the characters. It felt like we were constantly having to guess at who A was speaking to or where she was, as these changes were indicated merely through the set up of the chairs or end tables in the space. Michelle Tracey’s set and costume designs are modern, and I loved how at times lights were able to be seen through the grey carpeting which covered the floor and walls, but nothing about this actually helps us understand the story. If there had even been simple cardigan changes or a hat added, these small cues allow the audience to better comprehend the many character changes which B, C, and D undergo.

However, despite all of this, the cast of Pre-Existing Condition give impressive performances. Rutherford shines as A; the depth of her emotions in this part is what keeps us keen on learning more about A. Leese’s bright personality make her a necessary point of light in this otherwise dark play. Particularly as the group therapy leader, she radiates a positivity which makes you smile. Riccio’s charisma comes through in all of his characters, even A’s Mom (who was all too relatable). And Bentley provided a great foil for Rutherford, particularly as A’s coworker or sibling.

Pre-Existing Condition is not the way I would have expected Coal Mine to kick off their season: the play is very American, and though it deals with the kind of sensitive subject matter we’re accustomed to seeing on Coal Mine’s stage, it still feels clumsy in its execution. Though excellently performed, it feels under-directed, and unfortunately it feels like Coal Mine’s season is beginning “Not with a bang but a whimper.”

Pre-Existing Condition plays at the Coal Mine Theatre until September 27. For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.coalminetheatre.com/pre-existing-condition

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Stats regarding US insurance and domestic abuse: https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/article24557818.html

“The Hollow Man” by T.S. Eliot: https://poets.org/poem/hollow-men

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Cover Photo: Amy Rutherford in Pre-ExistingCondition. Elana Emer Photography.

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