In Marin Ireland’s Pre-Existing Condition, the characters have no names, and the actors play multiple parts.  The main character (Lupita Nyong’o) has left her boyfriend (Greg Keller), who hit her.  She attends group therapy, which, due to poor attendance, is sometimes individual therapy.  She cannot bring herself to tell her mother (Keller) what happened, and their phone conversations descend into banalities.  One friend (Keller) is supportive as well as attracted to her.  Another (Sarah Steele) apologizes so much on behalf of the ex-boyfriend that it soon becomes clear she is dating him.

Nyong’o’s character defends herself, but the role is still largely passive.  We hear the spectrum of reactions, from self-serving to well-meaning.  From a lawyer: “You should probably just move on.  Let it go.”  From the ex: “I miss you.”  From the former friend, now girlfriend of the ex: “I guess I’m just surprised you don’t have more empathy.”  From a date, upon hearing about the violence, in a terrifying singsong: “What did you doooo?”

Several other actors (Phillipa Soo, Susannah Flood, Hari Nef, Edie Falco, and Whitney White) will play the lead throughout the run, and this, along with the anonymity of the characters, suggests Ireland would like her audiences to immerse themselves in the character’s experiences, to assume her point of view.  Over one in three American women are victims of violence in their lifetimes, and over one in six of men.  The story is remarkable but not extraordinary; it is 43.5 million American women ordinary.

Nyong’o is smart casting: her large eyes and moon-shaped face are so effective on film because they allow the audience to project emotion onto them.  On stage, she is no less compelling.  Keller also does a good job juggling a range of roles, from mom to ex-boyfriend, without turning any into caricature or sketch.  Pre-Existing Condition is a rough eighty minutes, but it is a sensitive and well-written portrait of domestic violence.

Pre-Existing Condition runs through January 8th at the Greenwich House Theater. 27 Barrow Street. New York, NY. 1 hour 20 minutes. No intermission. Photograph by Jessica Kourkounis.