"Padilla outlines the mysterious absences that rule our inner lives, give shape to our fantasies, and serve as the troubled conundrums around which our very identities come into being."–Ayad Akhtar, from the Foreword
"
How To Defend Yourself is a fierce, blazingly honest, deeply original play. It asks what it means to live in a culture saturated with violence, and what it means to heal." –Naomi Iizuka, Playwright
"Liliana is one of the most thoughtful and penetrating new voices I've encountered, and
How to Defend Yourself took my breath away. It scratches at the edges of race, class, and gender, and does so with wild intelligence and heart. I love it, and can't wait to read what they write next."–Rachel Chavkin, Director