It was international news when sex therapist Dr. Ruth died last week. By coincidence, a show honoring her life opens this week at the Curtain Call Theatre in Latham.
The one-person play “Becoming Dr. Ruth” tells the story of Karola Ruth — or Ruth K. — Westheimer, who was born in Germany to Jewish parents in 1928, fought in the first Arab-Israeli war, and became known as “Grandma Freud” for her pioneering work making talking about sex and sex-related topics less taboo.
Cindy Bates is directing the one-person show, which opens Thursday, for Curtain Call. She says Westheimer’s story packs a punch.
“She's 10 years old when the Nazis took over Germany, she was sent away at 10 to Switzerland on one of the Kinder transports, and never saw her family again; really had no hard evidence that they didn't survive the concentration camp. But, you know, the conclusion had to be that they didn't,” Bates said.
Bates says Westheimer’s work in sex therapy, including her groundbreaking 1983 book “Dr. Ruth’s Guide to Good Sex,” was a way to give the world something she had lost.
“She has all this, this the foundation of wonderful love in her life, and then it's all ripped away from her, and she has to find her way again. And so by becoming a sex therapist, becoming a sex education person, she's able to give that kind of love and support to people all around the world,” Bates said.
She says the play by Mark St. Germain holds nothing back.
“The parts of the show that deal with sex, she talks very openly about it, and wants people to not feel like they need to be ashamed to think about their bodies and how they can express love with other people,” Bates said.
St. Germain and Dr. Ruth herself discussed the play, at that point entitled “Dr. Ruth All The Way,” in a video for Barrington Stage in 2012.
“It really came about through an older play, ‘Freud's Last Session,’ which Dr. Ruth came to see several times. And she got to know our actors, Martin Rainer and Mark Dold, and they were absolutely smitten with her, as is everyone. And they said, ‘you have to meet her. You have to write about her. She's a fascinating woman. She's had a fascinating life,’” St. Germain said.
Westheimer originally said no.
“Mark cleverly said, ‘I would never do anything that you wouldn't like.’ I called back and I said, ‘I liked your message. Let's meet. And that was love at first sight. And now all of you have to know that I'm very excited,’” Westheimer said.
Bates says Dr. Ruth’s story teaches audiences to make the most out of life.
“-to expect the most of ourselves and the people around us, not to settle, to love fully, to give fully, to embrace, you know, the work that we do, the world that we're in; don't get caught up in petty things, keep your eye on the big picture of ‘how can you make this world a better place?’” Bates said.
The play is now being dedicated to Dr. Ruth’s memory. For “Becoming Dr. Ruth,” Carol Charniga will become Dr. Ruth. She says the political circumstances of Westheimer’s youth parallel today’s.
“The war is going on, so much conflict between the Arabs and Jews, just like it was in the late 1940s when she was there in Israel,” Charniga said.
But, Charniga says, Dr. Ruth wanted peace.
“She really strongly felt that resolution would happen and she certainly hoped that people would learn to live together in the same world and cooperate and love each other,” Charniga said.
Charniga while it’s a one-person performance, that performance is a monologue — not a soliloquy.
“The fourth wall goes down, which means she notes the audience and welcomes them, and starts talking to them and they become part of the play, she refers to them frequently. At one point, she actually goes into the audience, so she's not alone,” Charniga said.
Charniga says the play gives audiences a full picture.
“It's also very dramatic, and talks about, you know, drug addiction and suicide and all these extreme things, but, but this play, becoming Dr Ruth also has many, many levels. You know, she was such a positive person, but had so many heart wrenching moments occur in her life that affected her life,” Charniga said.
“Becoming Dr. Ruth” opens Thursday and runs through August 4th.
