By: Patrick Christiano
Renowned sex therapist, Dr. Ruth, attended the opening night of Becoming Dr. Ruth at Bay Street theater in Sag Harbor.
June 6, 2021: The re-opening of Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor drew the renowned sex therapist, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, who attended the opening night of Becoming Dr. Ruth, the theater’s first post-pandemic production. The play, also, re-unites the six-time Tony and Emmy Award-nominee, Tovah Feldshuh, who stars as Dr. Ruth, with her Broadway, Golda’s Balcony’s director, Scott Schwartz, Bay Street Theater Artistic Director. Becoming Dr. Ruth, a one-woman play by renowned playwright, Mark St. Germain, chronicles, the remarkable life of the noted psychologist Dr. Ruth Westheimer and will play at Bay Street Theater through June 27th.
Almost everyone is familiar with Dr. Ruth Westheimer from her career as a pioneering radio and television sex therapist. However, few are aware of her incredible journey. She fled the Nazis in the Kindertransport and joined the Hagenah in Jerusalem, becoming a sharp-shooting sniper, before coming to America as a single mother. Her struggles to succeed, as a single mother, in her adopted country are cleverly illuminated by playwright, Mark St. Germain, in the unfolding of her remarkable story. Becoming Dr. Ruth is an inspiring tale filled withthe humor, openness, and the life-affirming spirt of Karola Ruth Siegel, the girl who became Dr. Ruth, America’s most famous sex therapist.
Tovah Feldshuh skillfully captures the wise and witty essence of the beloved media icon with an illuminating portrait that is both fascinating and heartbreaking.
Anyone interested in the true-life stories of Holocaust survivors will find Dr. Ruth a memorable 90minutes that will resonate long after the lights have dimmed.
Capacity is limited and attendance is under strict covid 19 guidelines. The production has a runtime of 90 minutes with no intermission and will be performed for a social-distanced audience, indoors, on Bay Street’s Mainstage in compliance with all New York State requirements for indoor performances.
Becoming Dr. Ruth began performances on Friday, June 4, at 8 p.m. at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor. Performance will run through June 27 on Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at 7 p.m., and matinee performances on Sundays and Wednesdays at 2 p.m. For information and tickets, visit baystreet.org.
Photography: Barry Gordin
