Liliana Padilla began writing How to Defend Yourself in 2016, the year before the MeToo movement went mainstream, while pursuing their playwriting MFA at the University of California, San Diego.
Mojdeh, who is jealous of Diana's perceived sexual promiscuity, tries to come into her own at college by joining dating apps and hoping to improve her social standing through the class.
As the other students leave to check on her, Brandi tries to defend the effectiveness of the techniques, but struggles to find the words to justify her reasoning as she breaks down over her own repressed sexual trauma.
How to Defend Yourself was first presented at the Wagner New Play Festival 2018 at University of California, San Diego while Padilla was pursuing their playwriting MFA, in a production directed by Kim Rubenstein running from May 11 to May 17.
[5][6] How to Defend Yourself won the 13th Annual Yale Drama Series Prize in 2019, which led to a reading at Lincoln Center's Claire Tow Theater on March 3, 2020, directed by Rachel Chavkin.
Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune praised the play for dealing with a charged topic through complex characters, noting the show's ultimately optimistic tone despite its dark subject matter.
[11] Sheri Flanders writing for the Chicago Sun-Times described the play as "thoughtfully written", noting its focus on community reactions to sexual assault as opposed to the perpetrator and victim.
[12] Reviewing the Off-Broadway premiere, Thom Geier of TheWrap described the play as "astonishing", praising the choices of the three co-directors as well as Padilla's depiction of the lack of clear direction for Generation Z members in making intimate connections.