york city launch place successful american plays plays newcomer playwrights launch life off-off broadway gradually filter broadway lucky broadway recent trends shown plays premiere regional theaters country gradually make glitz fame broadway noticed recently opportunity watching premier sarah treem's play mccarter theater princeton jersey play directed emily mann performed mercedes ruehl oscar winning actress bess rous revivals successful plays match thrill spontaneity brand drama producer director huge risk make play work playwright period nail biting hair raising experience watches audience reactions critical reviews quite challenge commend mccarter theater emily mann investing venture easy play women sparring stage scientific jargon long expository speeches kind play common people watch playwright capability weave story audience hooked beginning play performed cast crew knew craft audience mesmerized entire duration details aspects mention sarah treem graduate yale school drama playwright playbill quite plays television dramas credit sarah chosen topic aware evolutionary biology human female contending scientific theories grandmother hypothesis menstruation defense explain aspect female menstruation menopause brought direct confrontation stage contending generations females scientists specializing evolutionary biology women generations play progresses find genetic link mother daughter discover life interplay science life makes play poignant feminist play justify science playwright resort exposition resorted bare minimum required make characters story believable actors mercedes ruehl bess rous belong generations characters play share common profession characters extremely natural stage person plays demand actors ruehl rous meet exceeding expectations watch mercedes ruehl stage learning experience student space time controls emotions delivers long speeches ease experienced bess rous worked extremely hard veteran co-actor extremely good confusion high strung attitude passionate approach science character possess portrayed bess emily mann production team deserve putting princeton stage superb stage design treat watch attention details creation space thought clear highly emotional loud place restaurant customers waiters attend tables characters behave issue struck awkward blocking made actors expressions hidden audience view occasions avoided hope mccarter theater brings plays playwrights princeton stage 