The How and the Why
{{update|date=March 2018}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox play
|name=The How and the Why
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|writer=Sarah Treem
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|mute=
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|premiere={{Start date|2011||}}
|place=McCarter Theatre
|orig_lang=English
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|genre=Drama
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The How and the Why is a play by Sarah Treem. The play depicts two women biologists meeting for the first time, one near the end of her career and the other at the beginning. The older woman has earned fame for her work on the grandmother hypothesis. The younger wants to present a radical new hypothesis to explain why human females menstruate while most mammals do not. The play deals with the workings of science and its impact on the personal lives of women scientists.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/14/nyregion/a-review-of-the-how-and-the-why-at-penguin-rep-theater.html|title=A Review of 'The How and the Why,' at Penguin Rep Theater|last=Gold|first=Sylviane|date=2012-10-12|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-12-17|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}
The play premiered in 2011 in Princeton, New Jersey at McCarter Theatre,{{Cite web|url=http://www.mccarter.org/howandwhy/|title = 404 | McCarter Theatre Center}} and has since been produced in the Penguin Rep in New York, the Trinity Repertory Company in Rhode Island,{{Cite web|url=http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wrni/news.newsmain/article/0/0/1949316/news/Trinity.Rep's.'The.How.and.the.Why'.a.fascinating.drama|title = TPR : The Public's Radio : TPR}} the InterAct Theatre Company in Philadelphia,{{Cite web|url=http://www.uwishunu.com/2011/10/interact-theatre-company-presents-the-how-and-the-why-by-hbos-in-treatment-writer-sarah-treem-on-stage-through-november-13/|title=InterAct Theatre Company Presents The How And The Why By HBO's "In Treatment" Writer Sarah Treem, On Stage Through November 13|date=2011-10-28|website=Uwishunu - Philadelphia Blog About Things to Do, Events, Restaurants, Food, Nightlife and More|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-17}} and Timeline Theatre Company in Chicago.{{Cite web|url=https://timelinetheatre.com/events/the-how-and-the-why/|title=The How and the Why|last=Fromm|first=Keira|website=TimeLine Theatre|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-17}} It was previously produced by Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Massachusetts.{{Cite web|url=http://www.shakespeare.org/performances/all-performances/the-how-and-the-why/|title = Buy Tickets}} Hennepin Theatre Trust in Minneapolis slated the play for a run March 10 through March 20, 2016, at New Century Theatre featuring Caroline Kaiser as Zelda Kahn.{{Cite web|url = http://www.hennepintheatretrust.org/events/how-and-why-tickets-new-century-theatre-minneapolis-mn-2015|title = The How and The Why {{!}} Tickets {{!}} New Century Theatre {{!}} Minneapolis MN {{!}} 2015 {{!}} Hennepin Theatre Trust|website = www.hennepintheatretrust.org|access-date = 2016-03-02}} Theater J in Washington DC ran the play from February 15 to March 12, 2016. It was directed by Shirley Serotsky.{{cite web |url=http://edcjcc.org/center-for-arts/theater-j/on-stage/16-17-season/the-how-and-the-why/ |title=The How and the Why |website=edcjcc.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819061533/http://edcjcc.org/center-for-arts/theater-j/on-stage/16-17-season/the-how-and-the-why/ |archive-date=2016-08-19}} The New Jewish Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri produced the play in February 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://jccstl.com/arts-ideas/new-jewish-theatre/current-productions/|title=New Jewish Theatre Current Productions|website=St. Louis JCC|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-17}} It will be produced at Montgomery Theatre in Souderton, PA in 2025.
The play draws on the work of scientist Margie Profet, who theorized that menstruation clears the body of toxins.{{Cite web|url=http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201205/the-mysterious-case-the-vanishing-genius|title=The Mysterious Case of the Vanishing Genius|website=Psychology Today|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-17}}