Interview: Linda Kash of PRE-EXISTING CONDITION at Coal Mine Theatre

The Canadian premiere of Marin Ireland's Pre-Existing Condition, currently in performances through September 27th, marks Linda Kash's Coal Mine Theatre directorial debut. 

Kicking off Coal Mine Theatre's 12th season, this production is the first to be licensed after the play's off-Broadway premiere in 2024 which was named a New York Times Critics' Pick. Pre-Existing Condition is described as being "centered around an unnamed woman navigating the aftermath of a harmful relationship." The Toronto cast includes Amy Rutherford, Lindsay Leese, Diana Bentley and Philip Riccio.

Best known for her work with The Second City and beloved films including "Waiting For Guffman" and "Best In Show," Kash discusses her experience directing Pre-Existing Condition, venturing outside of her comfort zone, early theatrical memories, finding humour in unexpected places, and the two-word advice she highlights from her time at Second City.

Linda, did you see a lot of theatre growing up?

My mom [Maureen Forrester] was an opera singer and my dad [Eugene Kash] was a violinist and a conductor. My mother traveled a lot. So, I saw Equus when I was 12 in New York, I saw Lindsay Kemp, I saw some avant-garde stuff, some super commercial stuff. My dad would take me to all sorts of stuff at the Tarragon. I was really exposed to a lot of theatre, and my parents were very cool about the content being somewhat edgy, which felt really grown up when I was little. But also, I think that formed a very important impression about what was possible [with live performance]. I remember seeing A Long Day's Journey Into Night at Tarragon, and I was older, I think I was in my teens, and I just couldn't leave the theatre. I just was so moved – embarrassingly so. I just couldn't believe that a live experience like that could do that. But I didn't know I wanted to be an actor until I was over 18.

Did you know you wanted to be a director at that point, or did that come later?

I think that came later, and I think that came out of a lot of teaching, because I've been teaching almost as long as I've been an actor. I was in my 20s when I started teaching. I had no business teaching then, but I learned on my feet. I kind of learned performance on my feet as well, through Second City, through improvisation and stuff. Eight shows a week, six nights a week. And that was the, you know, four years. I consider that kind of my university days.

Through teaching, I got an opportunity to direct a Second City show, which was one of the first things I did. Since then, I've directed Shrek: The Musical with a huge cast and I've directed lots of sketch shows, I've directed, you know, The Odd Couple. But this is sort of the first smaller, more intimate show [I've directed] that has a more dramatic edge to it. So this is really – at this stage in my career, it really feels like a first and it's been fantastic. I have a dream cast who all come at the material in a different way but it's just been really fun to observe. You have to bring your heart to this play because it's quite an intense story. I think one of the reasons Ted [Dykstra] hired me was because there are multiple characters and there is essential humour in the piece, which there really is, in interesting places. You'll surprise yourself when you react – when you didn't expect to be laughing but you are. 

Is this your first time working with Coal Mine Theatre?

It is. I worked with Ted when I was 25 – which was a thousand years ago – as an actor. He's asked me a couple times and I couldn't do some other productions, and I'm extremely grateful that he gave me the confidence, knowing that this was new territory for me, and that Marin Ireland also was so open when I had questions. She was really good to work with, too. 

Since this is your first time directing a more serious, intimate play with such a small cast, did you feel like you were out of your comfort zone at all, or did it all just kind of come naturally?

No, out of my comfort zone completely. Yeah, I mean, I've performed in a lot of drama and smaller pieces, but to look at the big picture and to... You know, there's a thousand ways to go when you read a script, and it requires a lot of generosity on the part of the cast to go the way that you envision, which is definitely not the way they would do it. The interesting thing is that three of the four of these performers are writers, directors, teachers and are leaders in their field. Lindsay Leese is a Second City performer and has done a lot of workshops and stuff. So, each and every one of them could probably take the helm of this with a different take, and they chose to go the way that I had envisioned. 

The challenge, as well, is that you need to make certain technical decisions prior to the first day, prior to the first read. Because most of the things that I've directed, either the budget was, you know, so limited that it's very bare bones. But, I mean, Louise Gunond, who's the lighting designer, is truly a cast member. And Heidi, who is the sound designer, is truly a cast member. When they came in last week, something happened to the piece that really made me feel confident about what we all had planned. Also, Michelle, who is the art designer, had some very specific drawings that were just like– we were just so in sync. She had just had a baby, so her life was so busy, but we honed in on each other, and I think her design is really beautiful. So, the behind-the-scenes part of this had to be decided and that was really scary because we just hadn't worked out the scenes yet, and it is somewhat interpretive how to go about this piece, so I'm really happy that it gelled. But we had super smart people in their key positions. 

What did you find most beneficial about your comedy experience when directing Pre-Existing Condition?

Well, first of all, on the outside, I'm a really good audience and I laugh when I can feel that it's [the material] funny, so I do think that I was confident in my own reaction to things. I think, maybe like most directors, but I am very much sitting as an audience member when I'm watching. When I have questions, I believe that many of the questions that I have are what the audience might feel, too. I'm not an intellectual, and most of my friends aren't actors, so I feel like I'm a good rep for a demographic. I mean, everybody says humour is different, but I feel like Second City taught me how to work to make the whole room laugh, not just pockets. There are universal truths that we all laugh at. First of all, it [comedy] has to be truthful, and secondly, it's something we all agree is absurd enough in the situation that we're watching that we can't help it, we just have to laugh.

And I think we found those moments, but honestly tonight [tech dress rehearsal] is the night, and Saturday is our invited dress, and then our previews. I'm at the place where I don’t know… You know, I thought I knew last week, but then I heard the same lines 65 times. So this is scary, like bungee jumping scary. It’s like a rollercoaster ride – you go, "I'm terrified, but I asked for this." So it's okay to be scared, because it's a good kind of scared. And, you know, if we're gonna fall, we're gonna fall with style, and if we're gonna make it, we did it together and it's going to feel really good. I'm not pandering to an audience, but again, you're going to feel the room because there's only 100 people in the room. So, I'm pretty good at feeling out what the crowd is feeling and, again, if I'm laughing with them, we're right. And if I'm tearing up with them, we know we're right, because the piece runs the gamut emotionally. 

Given that this production of Pre-Existing Condition is the play's Canadian premiere, do you think there's anything about this piece that will interest or resonate with Canadian audiences more than American [audiences]?

You know, the statistic that they talk about in the show is one in three have experienced some form of domestic violence. If it's one in three, and I wager that the statistic is not just an American statistic. So that means that on both sides of the story, and we're gonna have people in the audience, uh, regarding this issue. There is no way they're not going to relate. Because if you haven't had an experience like this, you definitely know someone who has. The [domestic violence], you know, it goes beyond borders.

This woman's story feels extremely familiar and I think everyone's going to relate to this one. And they're gonna talk about it. This is what my hope is – that long after they leave the lobby, they're in discussion, because that's the best thing about what this play does. It brings the conversation into the room.

Given the serious nature of the play, do you and your cast have certain ways to decompress after a long day of rehearsal?

Everybody is different, I'm sure. I'm exhausted. I fall into bed face first. It's very tiring because you don't realize, you know, when you've been dealing with subject matter for that many hours in a day in a room that's kind of like a casino – there's no windows and you're in the basement. I mean, if I had the strength, I would go to the gym, but there's no flippin' way. For a while, I was riding my bike to the theatre and that was great decompression. I'm not doing that anymore because I'm too tired. I listen to podcasts and, you know, spend time with my kids and my grandkids. It [Pre-Existing Condition] requires a decompression, but I don't have one particular way. But I have to let it go for at least a few hours before I look at the script again because you just gotta take a breath. It's very all-consuming.

They're [the actors] strong personalities. This is a strong group of people. The characters are strong, but the actors who are playing them are very, very strong. I'm strong in my own right, but I'm also a bit mushy. So, it's just been a really challenging, really interesting experience. I would like to direct again, but I'm going to travel for a bit after this experience, and that's gonna be the best decompression of all. 

What makes you keep wanting to return to theatre? Because you've done film, you've done TV, Second City, commercials...

I return to everything. I really like changing it up. I really admire the artists who stick to one thing and don't do other things. Like, I really admire actors who are just committing to theatre. I don't know how they do it emotionally, mentally, physically, financially. It's a huge sacrifice, and they're not paid nearly enough. But I like to dabble in a lot of pots of paint. I like to change it up. So, I will always come back to it [theatre], but I will never do it full time.

If you had to share one piece of advice given to you from anyone you worked with at Second City, what would it be? 

Just say yes. You know, when you improvise that whole corny thing about "yes, and." If someone says, "You want to direct a super serious play, even though you're a funny person, and you're known for a particular sort of ilk of expression? Do you want to do it?" Say yes. It's ridonkulous, but you should do it, because why not? You don't know what it's like until you wade in that pool, right? I'm proud of myself for saying yes, and I think most of my peers at Second City are brave like that because they had to improvise six nights a week. They fell on their face 1,000 times. They said inappropriate things because it just was spontaneous. You gain this fantastic armour, that risk taking is okay, and that potential failure allows you to push the edge a little bit for your own experience and also to tell a story. I have full faith in anyone who's come from my background, that they have courage that most other people don't because they have risked failure in front of an audience. So, they'd say yes. Keep saying yes – that's what I would say.

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