Coal Mine Theatre’s Season 12 upcoming production of Pre-Existing Condition marks the Canadian premiere of Marin Ireland’s play, arriving at the East End Toronto company after several New York stagings. Artistic Director Ted Dykstra saw a recent production and brought the work to Coal Mine as a fully staged presentation, citing the strength of the material.
The production is directed by Linda Kash, whose long stage and screen career has included directing work at Second City and in regional theatre. At Coal Mine, she is working with a four-person cast in a 75-minute, intermission-free play that depends on sustained momentum and close audience attention.
Kash describes the experience as a shift from larger-scale directing projects toward a more intimate dramatic setting.
“I’ve directed at Second City and regionally. This is my first chance to do something [Pre-Existing Condition] of a more serious, intimate level in Toronto with a smaller cast. The last show I directed was Shrek [in Campbellford] with a cast of 50-plus. [Pre-Existing Condition] is a different navigation, and it’s only a few of us in the room.”
Kash said the Coal Mine space suits the play’s tone and scale. She sees the production as a “fly on the wall experience,” where spectators are close enough to feel present without being asked to participate.
“It is essential the audience feels as if they are in the room without being pushed to participate,” she adds.
The play’s plot is best approached with few details revealed in advance. Its characters are identified only as A, B, C and D, a choice Kash said keeps the focus on the experience. A, played by Amy Rutherford, tries to understand the aftermath of a traumatic incident she initially pushed aside. The play examines domestic abuse, the difficulty of proving harm, and the uncertainty that can surround an experience that may not fit familiar public narratives.
The cast also includes Lindsay Leese as B, Diana Bentley as C, and Philip Riccio as D. Leese brings a Second City background, Bentley is Artistic Director of The Vault Creation Lab and a former co-artistic director of Coal Mine Theatre, and Riccio has previously worked with Kash at Tarragon Theatre.
Linda adds: “The play poses the question…what if it was just once? What does that do to someone if you do set that traumatic experience aside and say that I can cope with it because I have nothing to complain about since other people have so much larger stories than the one A has.”
For Kash, the play’s power lies in its attention to what happens after an incident, particularly when a person questions whether what happened is serious enough to name or seek help for. Pre-Existing Condition also considers the law, family response and the level of support available to people in vulnerable situations when proof is complicated or unavailable.
Although the subject matter is serious, Kash said Ireland’s script includes humour in unexpected places. She smiles when she says:
“That’s one of the reasons why I think I was hired to direct the show.”
The four actors play multiple characters, and Kash said the absurdity within some situations allows moments of humour to surface without diminishing the stakes.
Rehearsals have been productive, Kash said, though the material requires care because it touches on deeply personal experiences. The actors approach the work in different ways, but she said they are moving toward a shared understanding of the piece.
Kash, who has directed periodically throughout her more than 40-year career, said collaboration has been central to the rehearsal room.
“I’m very curious to keep this experience collaborative. It’s respectful in the room because it’s so personal.” Kash would like to see other productions once the Toronto run is complete. She expects each production of Pre-Existing Condition outside the Toronto run to differ because the actors must bring so much of themselves to the work. For the Toronto production, she said the goal is for audiences to feel as though they are overhearing something private.
Kash has been in regular contact with Ireland, who is also an actor. She said Ireland has been a valuable resource during the rehearsal process and that there is a strong possibility the playwright will attend the Canadian premiere.
Asked what she hopes audiences take away from the production, Kash returned to the idea of conversation.
“I want them to have a conversation. I want the conversation to continue. There are many angles to the play. The statistic is 1 to 3, so the likelihood of lived experience in the room is going to be high on both sides of the story.”
The production is expected to include a post-show talkback after one performance, though the date has not yet been confirmed. Kash said talkbacks and lobby conversations are among the parts of live theatre she values most because they reveal how immediately an audience is responding to the work.
Outside Toronto, Kash lives part-time in Peterborough, where she has run an acting studio for nearly 20 years, teaching scene study and improvisation to actors and non-actors.
In November, Peterborough’s New Stages will present a staged reading of Casey and Diana, with Kash returning to the role she previously played at the Stratford Festival and Soulpepper Theatre. Playwright Nick Green is scheduled to play the lead character, with Andrew Kushnir directing. More information is available at www.newstages.ca.
After both productions close, Kash plans to travel to Malta for a walking trip before turning to whatever creative opportunity comes next, whether in Peterborough or beyond. She’s also a grandmother of four and is looking forward to spending time with the ‘kiddles’.
Then she’s looking forward to the next creative experience beyond her acting school. She’s open to whatever, whether it’s with New Stages or out beyond Peterborough.
Directed by Linda Kash, the Canadian premiere cast of Marin Ireland’s Pre-Existing Condition includes Amy Rutherford, Lindsay Leese, Diana Bentley and Philip Riccio.
Performances run September 6 – 27 at Coal Mine Theatre, 2076 Danforth Avenue. For tickets: https://tickets.coalminetheatre.com/event/330:22/ To learn more about Coal Mine’s Season 12 (and other information, including The Vault Creation Lab): https://www.coalminetheatre.com/
