Renaissance Theaterworks Presents THE HOW & THE WHY

Tickets are available at R-T-W.com, by calling the box office at 414-278-0765, or at the box office, 255 S. Water St., from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Sunday through Saturday. (Full list of performance dates, times and special shows below.)

In "The How and the Why" two biologists meet on the eve of a prestigious conference. But the two women aren't quite strangers. They share a complex and mysterious bond. Evolution and emotions collide in this smart and compelling play about science, family and destiny.

Fete describes the play as "... a powerful story about men and women, choice and destiny, and it explores the difficult choices faced by women of every generation. One of the theories discussed in the play is "The Grandmother Hypothesis," which postulates that humans have been able to evolve and thrive because of grandmothers. So, shout out to Grandma!"

Sarah Treem, an American TV writer-producer and playwright, is the co-creator and showrunner of the Showtime drama "The Affair," which won the Golden Globe Award for Outstanding Drama Series. She was a writer and co-executive producer on the inaugural season of "House of Cards," nominated for nine Golden Globes, including Outstanding Drama Series. She also wrote on all three seasons of the HBO series "In Treatment."

The Washington Post's review included, "Sarah Treem's play brims with ideas and emotional colors that eddy and refract like rivulets in a lively plunging stream."

The designers and production team are a who's-who of Milwaukee theater, including Bailey Wagner, stage manager; Jazmin Aurora Medina, costume design; Noele Stollmack*, lighting design; Jim Guy, prop master; Maddy Yee, scenic design; Josh Schmidt*, sound design; Tony Lyons, technical director; Shelby Kashian, wardrobe supervisor; Natasha Goeller, deck chief; Mike Van Dresser, master electrician; and Lizzie Opperman, board operator.