Everyone loves a good origin story — a true rags-to-riches,
underdog-beats-the-odds-tale can be almost as satisfying as good sex. (Almost.)
Fortunately, a retelling of the journey of Dr. Ruth Westheimer, from her
childhood as a German Jew pre-Holocaust to respected American sex therapist,
might just provide both.
Through
October 21, JCC CenterStage presents the area
premiere of “Becoming Dr. Ruth,” a one-woman show produced in conjunction with the
Naples-based Bristol Valley Theatre. BVT’s artistic director of 15 seasons,
Karin Bowersock, takes on the role of the spunky
4-foot, 7-inch household name.
“Becoming
Dr. Ruth” was first produced in 2013 and ran off-Broadway for a short time. It
recounts the life of Dr. Ruth Westheimer, a famous radio and TV personality known
for her honest, educational sex therapy. Most audience members will know her
for her late night TV show “Sexually Speaking,” one of her 40 books on the
topic of sexual wellness, or her signature phrase, “Get Some.”
But Ruth Westheimer, born Karola Ruth Siegel, was
also a Holocaust survivor, a sniper for the Haganah
in Jerusalem, a college professor, and a thrice-married, sometimes single,
mother of two.
Bowersock is faced with the most daunting work in this
show. “Becoming Dr. Ruth” runs 90 minutes without an intermission, and takes
place on a static set. Bowersock never leaves this
set, but instead breaks the fourth wall almost immediately and the audience
spends the show “conversing” with Dr. Ruth as she tells her life story while
packing her apartment in 1997. (She’s decided to move very quickly.) This
proves a strategic backdrop to bring in relics, photos, and memories from the
last 70 years of her life.
Bowersock’s focus is impressive, and her commitment to the
character of Dr. Ruth is unparalleled, from the bouffant blonde hair and
wire-rimmed glasses to the German-French-Jewish-Brooklyn accent mash up and
high-pitched giggle. It’s clear both Bowersock and
director David Shane spent a good deal of time studying Westheimer. And the
direction keeps the audience engaged throughout the production, eliciting many
laughs with Bowersock’s nuance, body language, and
plucky delivery. Though there was some stumbling over dates (many to keep
straight in this show), it is not Bowersock on stage,
it’s Dr. Ruth — and that’s an admirable achievement on opening night.
The set and
props, in a sense, become the only other characters in the show: an innovative
design by David Daniels provides plenty to look at, and creative projections by
Brian Prather and Daniel Brodie add necessary historical context.
“Becoming
Dr. Ruth” aligns with CenterStage artistic director
Ralph Meranto’s mission to bring new (or new to
Rochester) works to the JCC, but it’s also poignantly timed for current
conversations around strong women, sexuality, and oppressed cultures.
Regardless of each audience member’s background, “Becoming Dr. Ruth” has
relevant lessons for every stage of life.
CenterStage will host a special post-show discussion,
“Because of Dr. Ruth… Trends in Sex Education, Therapy and Medicine,” with
Pebble Kranz, MD, FECSM on Thursday, October 11.
This article appears in Oct 10-16, 2018.
