The How And The Why

Play (2011)
by Sarah Treem

With Debra Wise (Zelda Kahn), Samantha Richert (Rachel Hardeman)

Zelda Kahn (Debra Wise) is an established biologically-oriented theoretician in her fifties, well known for an account of familial nurturing. On the eve of a conference, she is visited by Rachel Hardeman (Samantha Richert), a young theoretician in the same general field, but who seeks Kahn out for more personal reasons. But the discussion turns to their individual theories, particularly Samantha’s, which involves an elaborate explanation of menstruation. Personal and theoretical discussions intersect, leading towards a dramatic consideration of reproduction, family and individual destiny.

It would be impossible to say very much about the plot of this play without giving away crucial points, so I will not go into detail about those. But I do encourage getting them from the source in this moving production.

Suffice it to say that this two person play, expertly and affectingly acted by Debra Wise and Samantha Richert, is a beautifully poetic weaving of personal encounter and theoretical exploration. Much like Photograph 51, a play about biological scientists produced at Central Square Theater last season, The How And The Why does not shirk from discussing its scientific ramifications in considerable detail. One indeed has to pay careful attention to the sequence of theoretical arguments here to get the most out of it.

But, given the headiness of the script, its emotional effectiveness is striking.

As the elder academic, Debra Wise gives a stirring performance, subtly and effectively combining tough realism and familial yearning. Because of the stoic restraint Wise artfully employs in the performance, the emotionality that inevitably emerges is vivid and realistic.

Samantha Richert as Rachel, the young academic, offers an insistent and unsettled energy that counterbalances the restraint of the older Zelda.

In a moment late in the play, after Rachel establishes some personal distancing between them, Zelda gives a sign of physically faltering. Despite those bold pronouncements to the contrary, Rachel runs to her side, worried and concerned. This is wonderful, subtle writing, and Richert pulls it off just beautifully.

The sets for this show are ingeniously designed and very effective, producing a rich sense of the quite different environments associated with each of the two acts.

Apart from the skilled acting, and obviously skilled direction by Daniel Gidron, the writing is just superb. This is an argumentative and wordy play, but one that is riveting and full of interesting ideas. If one can follow them, one gets a real metaphoric sense of the characters. But, even without careful attention to the details of the narrative, its general dramatic arc is compelling and interesting. One cannot lose at whatever level one enters this finely wrought little dramatic gem.

– BADMan