The women of today are not the women of yesterday. Women have undergone a theatrical transformation that makes them bold, independent and free-spirited beings. A once-stifled voice can no longer be tamed; this is illustrated by the rise of playwrights, both men and women, who continue to reinvent the role of women as being more than “man's other”. In her book “Modern Drama by Women, 1880s-1930s: An International Anthology,” author Katherine Kelly references a quote from scholar Carrie Chapman Catt, which beautifully describes the state of transformation that women went through. According to Chapman: “Women are organizing, speaking out, working… [and] now is a crucial moment, when our Western aid can give impetus and permanence to the Eastern women's movement, and where any delay can mean oppression much longer continuation of Eastern women. women” (Kelly, 1). In light of this, gender identities and stereotypes that previously dictated how women should act, look, speak, and even interact socially with others are unmasked. This is illustrated through Sarah Raul's In the Next Room, which illustrates the ideology of a "new woman" through the characterization of Catherine Givings – a woman who learns to reject society's definition of what it means to be a woman in relation to her sexual identity. From now on, throughout this essay, I will examine sexuality in the context of the Victorian era, in conjunction with In the Next Room; Furthermore, I will analyze how Raul breaks down gender roles and gender representations through characterization and directing techniques. Sexuality and Victorian Women During the Victorian era, women were restricted from exploring facets of their sexuality; moreover, their sole existence revolved around the subject...... middle of paper ...... ted the living room of Dr. Givings' operating room through the notion of sexual equality where sex was a pleasant act for both male and female. Furthermore, Raul disrupts common representations of men and women when participating in sexual activity, by depicting the man naked and the woman partially clothed. The reversal of gender representation is reinforced by Catherine's language, since she is presented as the most dominant sphere. At the end of the play, the direction states: “He lies on his back and makes a snow angel. She is above him…” Therefore, we perceive that Catherine is above Dr. Givings and controls the beginning of their love. The play ends with Catherine saying, “oh my God. Oh, my God, oh, my God, and for the first time she experiences erotic, passionate, sensual sex. For the first time, she discovers her sexuality..