An inspiration for the play was Harriet the Spy, a children's novel published in 1964, whose main character Chafee thought of as "the first lesbian I met".

[3][4] Chafee has said that she believes people responded strongly to her play because of the tension as the plot goes back and forth between comedy and deep questions.

[2][3] Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote of the 1994 production, "If Why We Have a Body doesn't offer much in the way of a plot and ends abruptly, that's because it is far more interested in metaphorical speculation about identity – genetic, sexual and mythical – than in telling a story.

"[5] In a review of the 1997 production, Lloyd Rose of The Washington Post wrote, "This is the sort of play that can become opaque, coy and annoying very quickly, but playwright Claire Chafee has a gift for language and a sense of humor, and Heather May's direction is cool and clear as spring water.

"[6] Christopher Meeks wrote in a review of the 1995 production for Variety, "Why We Have a Body is a rich, dense and sometimes confusing and fragmented piece of material that will reward those with patience.