The How and the Why

Rachel is an evolutionary biologist who has some cutting-edge theories about the nature of sex — and the facts to back them up. She keeps butting heads with the acknowledged leader in the field, Zelda Kahn, who is 38 years older. Sarah Treem's drama The How and the Why shows how these two women fight to establish their findings in a scientific field without many women. Eschewing scientific jargon in order to explore the relationship between them, the drama explores how women of different generations reconcile the choices they make in a man's world. The How and the Why runs 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Sunday (January 24 to February 11) at the Jewish Community Center (2 Millstone Campus Drive, Creve Coeur; www.newjewishtheatre.org). Tickets are $41 to $44.