The Doctor is in.
A review of
at the WestSide Theatre
With all the of persona-driven notoriety that fills the media, Mr. Mark St. Germain’s play BECOMING DR. RUTH is a refreshing reminder of how a celebrity can actually have a real background of work and achievement behind their fame. Indeed, the title character, Dr. Ruth Westheimer has lived and worked eventfully enough to provide for several life stories. This is a real surprise for those people who had perhaps giggled immaturely at Dr. Ruth’s sex advice show (hey, I was in high school and sex was ALWAYS something to snicker at) as well as the newer generations who may recall her quirky grammarian persona – Dr. Ruth “Wordheimer” – on Public Television
Mr. St. Germain’s funny and thoughtful script presents a very matter of fact lady who has seen it all: the rise of the Third Reich, the founding of Israel, student life in Postwar Paris and the challenges of being taken seriously in the academic world as a very petite woman. Fascinating as this all may be, BECOMING DR. RUTH could have easily become one woman-one note biographical lecture. Instead the playwright ingeniously frames the evening as a visit to Dr. Ruth’s apartment at a rather chaotic time in her life: we meet the good Doctor while she prepares to leave her home of thirty years. What with the calls from movers, agents and family and surrounded by boxes and items to be packed, Dr. Ruth is more than happy to be distracted by some company – even a theater full of people. Indeed, the media savvy Dr. Ruth is not above smashing the fourth wall if it will permit her to cut off an annoying phone call, make a point, or simply let her guests feel more at home.
A one person show can be a daunting task for an actor and Ms. Debra Jo Rupp brilliantly meets the challenges of BECOMING DR. RUTH. With never a moment’s respite, Ms. Rupp deftly goes from phone call to packing to recollection, never losing the audience while she spins out the thread of Dr. Ruth’s life touching on: the surprise marriage of her parents, the fears of escaping Nazi Germany on a Kindertransport, being a refugee in pre-Israel Palestine, trying to achieve a doctorate while seeking the right partner AND raising her children. Ms. Rupp truly becomes the survivor and adoring mother and wife who is still surprised that her desire to help people with sex education has led to such great media fame as “Dr. Ruth.” Yet even if Ms. Rupp shows the amazement and the often mischievous delight in the Doctor’s celebrity, she is also the little girl who still expects to return to the family she had lost. Dr. Ruth may not wear her heart on her sleeve, but you knowthat she feels deeply.
It would have been all too easy to fake a tuetonic caricature of Dr. Ruth’s famed accent, but under the dialect coaching of Mr. Stephen Gabis, I think that Ms. Rupp’s enunciation truly adds to the sense of “Ruthfulness” without any sense of parody or stereotype.
Ms. Rupp’s virtuosity also allows Ms. Jennifer Moeller to avoid the shortcut of heavy makeup and chic suit. Instead Ms. Moeller costumes the Doctor within what she probably wears in the confines of her own home: comfortable apparel, yet presentable enough should anyone drop in.
The excellent Ms. Julianne Boyd is the director of this tour-de-force. She truly understands the workings of Mr. St. Germain’s script on both an emotional and technical level and beautifully paces Ms. Rupp’s performance. Never is the fascinating Dr. Ruth anything but perfectly natural and believable even at the play’s more theatrical moments.
Scenic Designer Brian Prather has provided Dr. Ruth with a credibly home-like New York apartment living room that has been furnished with the items that are so essential in triggering each of Dr. Ruth’s memories. Additionally, Mr Daniel Brodie’s impressive projections and Mr. Scott Pinkney’s valuable lighting designs permit the apartment to most effectively assist Dr. Ruth while she entertains her rather large crowd of guests. Ms. Jessica Paz also ensures the intimacy of the visit with vocal levels and musical underscoring that are clear but never overwhelming: After all, in a New York apartment, Dr. Ruth would never risk annoying her neighbors by being too loud.
Not being very much interested in contemporary celebrity histories, I must confess that I did not enter the theater with the greatest of expectations, but minutes into the first act I was delighted and amazed to discover an incredible play that is full of sly humor, surprising laughs and heartfelt emotion. BECOMING DR. RUTH is not simply the story of a famous person, but truly a historical and inspirational life that is opened up for all to see and savor.
About the reviewer:
I am a computer programmer, wannabe writer who loves theater and just got into the habit of inflicting my theatrical opinions.
I live in New York.
Moshe can be reached at MB1224@aol.com
Becoming Dr. Ruth is playing through Jan. 12 at
the Westside Theater, 407 West 43rd Street, NY
Tickets by phoning (212) 239-6200, or at www.telecharge.com
www.becomingdrruth.com
Running time: 90 minutes (no intermission).
Follow the Show here:
@BecomingDrRuth! http://on.fb.me/18WFZLH @DJRupp @AskDrRuth
More about Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Westheimer
Editor’s Note:
I have also seen the show and cannot recommend it enough.
I laughed, I cried and I shared some life changing moments with Debra Jo Rupp as Dr. Ruth.
You will be amazed at how much life this larger than life figure has lived in her 85 years, and hear stories about her life, loves and fears that you never knew. It is truly a worthwhile evening of theater. I suggest you RUN to see it, and take the teens too.
Caution: There is some frank sexual terminology used.
-elli-
View a bit of the show here:
Grenade:Haganah EDIT.mp4 from Ryan Gielen (Believe, LTD) on Vimeo.