Debra Jo Rupp as Dr. Ruth
(photo credit: Carol Rosegg)
Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer, a petite, intellectually robust and personally
disarming educator about all things sexual is having a revelatory tell-all at
the Westside Theatre/Upstairs. . . that is as portrayed to European-accented perfection
by Debra Jo Rupp who originated the role this past summer at the Barrington Stage
in the Berkshires. It is a treat for New Yorkers and others to see how ingratiatingly
Rupp personifies this courageous and provocative woman in this wonderful
solo-play by Mark St. Germain (“Freud’s Last Session”).
Although an understudy (Anne O’Sullivan) is noted in the
program, it is impossible for me to think that anyone could be as captivating as
Rupp as she shares the now 85 year-old Dr. Ruth’s story that begins with as a
child survivor of the Holocaust. There is never a dull moment in this autobiographically-structured
play in which we are immersed in Dr. Ruth’s personal journey from sorrows to
successes from the first word to the last. The real Dr. Ruth will, indeed, have
the last word for those who attend Wednesday evening performances on November
6, 13, 20 and December 18) when she will discuss the play as well as answer
questions from the audience.
“Becoming Dr. Ruth” is an inspiring example of a one’s
woman’s ability, in the face of many challenges and obstacles, to embrace love
and marriage(s) and family, satisfy her thirst for knowledge and education, and
to carve out a remarkable and illustrious career as an authority on sex. Her
many books on the subject and her popular radio shows about sex have made her a
star. But it only as we share her personal exploits and experiences in this poignantly
enlivening play do we know what a treasure we have in our midst.
Lectures can be boring, but Rush creates such a lively
personality (not that she didn’t have the real role model to copy) that we are
easily seduced. The plays opens with Dr. Ruth busy packing up her belongings as
she is getting ready to move from her Washington Heights apartment (excellent
setting by Brian Prather) to another one in New York City, she welcomes us as
guests. Not in the least distracted by our presence, which she graciously
acknowledges (“I’m so glad you are here.”), she uses her collections of
journals, photos and books to spark her memory interrupted on occasion by the
obligatory phone call from her concerned children.
Humor abounds in the text that St. Germain has written to offer
balance to some of the sadness that also accompanies the images from her past,
particularly those of her parents, her father being a victim of the purge of
Jews during the infamous Kristalnacht. Unsurprisingly, romance is never an
afterthought but a dominant thread throughout her life and it is beautifully
carved, as are also evocative projections, into her narrative. The play has been
directed by Julianne Boyd with cleverness and care with attention to detail, particularly
Dr. Ruth’s easy and natural transitions into someone with an instinct to
entertain as well as to inform.
Although we do get to hear some of her snappy and smart
advice on sex to callers, it is the combination of a stirring story and the
stunning performance that makes “Becoming Dr. Ruth” a must-see. Perhaps if Dr.
Ruth were to say and I would concur that “a good play is like an orgasm,” that
is all the encouragement that you need to see “Becoming Dr. Ruth”
“Becoming Dr. Ruth” (through January 12, 2014)
Westside Theatre/Upstairs, 407 W.
43rd Street
For tickets ($79.00) call (212) 239 - 6200
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