Becoming Dr. Ruth @ Westside Theatre, Upstairs

Directly following the world premiere at Barrington Stage Company and a sold out run at TheaterWorks, Hartford, Becoming Dr. Ruth gets its New York Premiere Off-Broadway at the Westside Theatre, starring the incredibly loveable Debra Jo Rupp (“That’s 70’s Show”).

The general public knows Dr. Ruth Westheimer from her career as a pioneering radio and television sex therapist. Few, however, know the incredible journey that preceded it. From fleeing the Nazis in the Kindertransport and joining the Haganah in Jerusalem as a scout and sniper, to her struggles to succeed as a single mother coming to America, Becoming Dr. Ruth is filled with the humor, honesty and life-affirming spirit of Karola Ruth Siegel, the girl who became “Dr. Ruth”, Americaʼs most famous sex therapist.

The show opens while Dr. Ruth is cleaning her apartment preparing to move out, and instantly breaks the fourth wall by recognizing that fact that two hundred people are sitting in front of her. From there, her story begins as she takes us on her emotional ride through the Holocaust straight to the hilarity of how she became a sex therapist. Debra Jo Rupp portrays the iconic woman and delivers a stunning performance with exemplary passion and honesty. Dr. Ruth would be so proud of the care that Rupp conveys her story. Despite Rupp’s incredible performance, the script drags and the mood lighting doesn't help the story line. Both of this setbacks are easily over looked due to Rupp’s talent.

 

Becoming Dr. Ruth officially opened at the upstairs theatre at Westside Theatre,on Tuesday, October 29th and runs a limited engagement through January 12th, 2014. Don’t not miss out on this amazing woman’s journey.

Photos by: Carol Rosegg
Review By: James Russo & Lisa Kosak