BWW Reviews: Triangle Productions' BECOMING DR. RUTH Tells the Fascinating (and Sexy) Story of a Cultural Icon

You many know Dr. Ruth Westheimer from her late-night radio show, Sexually Speaking, her Lifetime cable talk show in the mid-80s, or her appearances on Letterman. But did you know that before she was the reigning authority on sex, she was an orphan of the Holocaust, a trained Israeli sniper, and a single mother in the United States with a little money and a big dream?

Becoming Dr. Ruth, now playing at Triangle Productions with Wendy Westerwelle in the title (and only) role, presents a living autobiography of the amazing woman who became a beloved cultural icon for talking frankly and openly about sex.

The show takes place in 1997 in Dr. Ruth's apartment as she prepares to move following the death of her third husband, Fred. As she packs up the photographs and trinkets around her home, she talks to the audience about her life, from growing up Jewish in pre-World War II Germany, to fleeing to Switzerland in the Kindertransport, her life in a kibbutz in Palestine, a stint in Paris, her eventual arrival in the United States, and her lifelong dream of being an educator, which led to her becoming the Dr. Ruth we know today. It's like listening to your great-aunt talk about all the adventures she's had in her life--if your great-aunt were anywhere near as fascinating as the 4' 7'' spitfire that is Ruth Westheimer.

It's a tough role, not least because the show is essentially a 90-minute monologue (no intermission). Wendy Westerwelle plays it brilliantly, with sensitivity and humor and the distinctive accent that is an amalgam of four different languages (in a phone call prior to the show's opening, the real Dr. Ruth, who's now 87, told Westerwelle her accent was perfect). Her performance brings to life not only one incredible woman's incredible journey, but also the cultural experiences of being Jewish during and after World War II and of being a single mother struggling to pursue her career goals.

I highly recommend this show. You'll laugh, you might cry just a little, and you will definitely learn something--about history, about optimism and determination, and, perhaps, about sex.

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