Stage Review - The How and the Why (Artemis Theatre Project)
Stage Review - The How and the Why
Presented By: Artemis Theatre Project - Fremont, WA
Show Run: March 07 - March 15, 2025
Date Reviewed: Saturday, March 15, 2025 (Closing Weekend)
Run Time: 2 Hours (including a 15 minute intermission)
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman
Science is defined by Oxford as “the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation, experimentation, and the testing of theories against the evidence obtained.” The aim of this study, at its heart, is to explain the “how” and the “why” things happen. That is the overarching context of Sarah Treem’s 2011 play The How and the Why, in which two evolutionary biologists meet for the first time, each at opposite bookends of their respective careers, one having become famous for the positing of a groundbreaking theory having to do with menopause in women and the other with a fresh, new, and unique idea about human menstruation. Both women share a passion for the subjects of their research, each understanding clearly the how of their respective concentrations, but spend the majority of their energy seeking out the why. As the initial reason for their meeting becomes more clear, illuminating their many closeted skeletons, the true nature of their own relationship comes to the fore, becoming something else for them to navigate beyond the young graduate’s desire to present her thesis at the upcoming conference, of which her elder colleague is on the board, and to convince her peers that her idea is not just groundbreaking, but it’s also something that will change how science view’s women’s health. The play is the perfect fit for Women’s History Month, it’s not just engaging, it’s also educational. It’s also a great fit for The Artemis Theatre Project, whose vision is to celebrate the work of women and non-binary theatre artists through a playful, creative and actor-oriented aesthetic. These two “perfect fits” came together from March 7 through March 15 at Fremont’s West of Lenin in a production directed by Diana Trotter and presented by the relatively new Artemis Theatre Project, The How and the Why being their second production and their first fully produced project.
There are a few reasons why this play appeals to me, and why I’m finding I like pieces like this more and more. Sarah Treem’s play presents a simple cast of two, the older Zelda, played here by Nikki Visel, and the younger Rachel, played by Rebecca Gelzer, and by keeping it simple, it allows the audience to focus on the actors, their relationship, and the complexities therein. The design can be simple as well, and it is in this production, with West of Lenin being at its core a black box space, Act 1 configured as Zelda’s university office, and while everything seems scaled back in size, it’s all there, the professor’s desk, the requisite wall of diplomas above her bookshelf, a sofa, and a small bar area. Robin Macartney is the scenic designer, responsible for the set and all of the props, and she’s done a nice job keeping her design simple while presenting the key elements for the aforementioned office in Act 1 and the bar in Act 2 where Zelda and Rachel meet after a few weeks have passed. Venues like West of Lenin are nice in that they allow newer groups or those without a lot of resources to present shows and not have to worry about infrastructure and some of the other more pricey capital investments required by larger spaces. This allows Sumer Monroe and their lighting design to utilize what the theatre itself can provide, and while the design is generally subtle, there’s nothing that stands out about it necessarily, the lighting is generally good for this production. Rounding out Diana’s creative team is hk goldstein (stage manager) and Krista Lofgren as the costume designer. Again, if I had to describe Krista’s work here, I’d say it’s solid, there’s nothing groundbreaking, but she has outfitted the actors in age appropriate costumes, ones that complement Zelda as a university professor and Rachel as a younger student, though well dressed for a first meeting with someone so esteemed in her field. I do like the contrast between the Act 1 and Act 2 costumes, Nikki’s Zelda is professional in Act 1 and more casual, but still dressed maturely, in Act 2, while Rebecca is clearly dressed up in Act 1 and she’s ultra casual in Act 2 at the bar. In this case, the clothing helps set the mood of each scene as much as anything else does, making this entire scenic design something that carries itself through all of its individual components.
Sarah Treem has taught me more about evolutionary biology in the two hours of The How and the Why than I’ve learned in the entirety of my life previously. And while it’s not necessarily the “how” that I learned about, I’ve understood all along how a woman’s body changes in menopause, and what happens functionally during menstruation, but in her characters’ considerations of the “why” for each, there’s a decent amount of science and medicine presented, all of it necessary in order to support each character’s arguments. Zelda, famous for her work on the Grandmother Hypothesis, in which she describes her belief that menopause is an evolutionary adaptation in order for humans to break away from primates and more prehistoric humans to advance in our society (note that GC Williams is the actual scientist to propose this theory), is older and more experienced, but has put away her pride, more open to criticism than perhaps she was when she was younger. When the discussion with Rachel finally opens up to the younger scientist’s thesis, after quite a bit of feeling each other out and a long period of awkward silence, it’s clear that the Rachel is more cocky, arrogant, and not one to take criticism lightly. Rachel’s goal is to find out the “why” of menstruation, when no other mammals go through it like humans do. Her theory is ground breaking (drawn from the work of Margie Profet), and she’s hoping to be able to present it at an upcoming conference, but when Zelda challenges her theory, it’s hard to take, and that’s when the true lesson of the piece starts to take shape. As the more experienced of the two, Zelda consistently tries to provide wisdom around accepting criticism and continually challenges Rachel. The second act of the play gets pretty emotional and heated, as their professional disagreements, which are clearly informed by their personal biases, devolve into arguments about feminism and martyrdom. There’s also an overarching “how” and “why” in Rachel’s world around her personal life as well that she’s trying to negotiate at the same time, in which Zelda has a part to play in helping her understand. Sarah has built a lot into this play, it’s intelligently written, and it teaches more than just about the evolution of female biology.
The How and the Why is an engaging play, and despite the science speak, which I love, but which also may be over some people’s heads, it’s not just well written, this particular show is very well performed. From the initial meeting, and the awkwardness between Zelda and Rachel, through to the end where the pair has built some semblance of an agreement of a relationship, Nikki and Rebecca work their way through these scenes as good as anyone. Nikki plays the elder professor very well, her part in those initial moments of awkwardness provide some humor, but I like the way her mood changes when her “boyfriend” Michael calls, it changes like a switch being flipped. Throughout, Nikki plays Zelda like a mentor with a challenging mentee, working to break down the arrogant walls of youth to break through and get to Rachel. And Rebecca as Rachel is just as good, her arrogance and self-confidence are very well played, it’s clear that she knows her theory is on to something, but it’s also clear that there’s that little bit of doubt right below the surface, that little shred that makes her react defensively when challenged. Rebecca plays that nuance very well. And when the conversations gets challenging between the two, it’s mostly Rebecca who raises her voice, her display of this angry side of Rachel is just as good as the other aspects of the character. Then, when you consider the two of them together, their dialogue is quick, even the scientific lingo comes out of their mouths with a good deal of precision, it’s reactionary, and it’s very natural. Their conversations and arguments have the right timing to them to make them feel realistic. Following this pair through this entire relationship arc is entirely enthralling.
The How and the Why, Sarah Treem’s 2011 play about the meeting of two evolutionary biologists with a history and conflicting viewpoints of human adaptations in the field of women’s health, is a piece that is about so much more than that. Delving into themes of identity, personal biases and how they inform behavior, and building relationships, The How and the Why touches on all of this while teaching the audience about things they never would have thought they’d learn about from a play, and it does so in an extremely engaging fashion. Directed by Diana Trotter, and featuring a small, but mighty, cast consisting of Nikki Visel and Rebecca Gelzer, this first fully produced play from the Artemis Theatre Project is the absolute best possible debut that this group could have hoped for.
The How and the Why, which was presented by The Artemis Theatre Project and ran on stage at West of Lenin, closed this past weekend, but if you’d like more information on the theatre company and their upcoming shows, please visit them at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565741350824.
Photo credit: Maleah Nicole Photography
