About the Play:

Becoming Dr. Ruth is a full-length comedic drama by Mark St. Germain, based on the life of Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer. The triumphant story of Karola Siegel, the girl who became Dr. Ruth, from her early years fleeing Nazi Germany, living as an orphan in Switzerland, to her service in the Israeli armed forces as a sniper, and her later life and career as Dr. Ruth, America's most famous sex therapist. Becoming Dr. Ruth is a moving, funny portrait of of one woman's determination to survive, thrive and keep learning.

Becoming Dr. Ruth is a one-woman tour-de-force about Dr. Ruth, the world's most famous pioneering radio and television sex therapist. Few, however, know the incredible journey that preceded it. From her time as a young child in a Swiss orphanage to fleeing the Nazis in the Kindertransport and joining the Haganah in Jerusalem as a scout and sharpshooter, to her struggle to succeed as a single mother newly-arrived in America, Mark St. Germain deftly illuminates this remarkable woman's untold story. Becoming Dr. Ruth is filled with the humour, honesty, and life-affirming spirit of Karola Ruth Siegel, the girl who became "Dr. Ruth," the world's most famous pioneering radio and television sex therapist.

Originally titled Dr. Ruth, All the Way, the show premiered in 2012 at the Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, then transferred to TheaterWorks in Hartford, Connecticut in 2013. Becoming Dr. Ruth opened Off-Broadway in 2013 at the Westside Theatre in New York City. Since then the play had regional premieres at professional theatres across North America,

Cast: 1 female

What people say:

"[Dr. Ruth's] story is certainly a stirring one…[and this is] an illuminating portrait." — The New York Times

"It's a simple premise…but it works for Westheimer's story, which is fascinating (and heartbreaking) all on its own. [St. Germain] convincingly and humorously conveys Westheimer’s surprising dignity, courage, and resilience." — The New Yorker

"Anyone who is interested in Dr. Westheimer…or in true-life adventure tales of Holocaust survivors…should find Becoming Dr. Ruth an enjoyable way to spend ninety minutes." — Huffington Post

"Mark St. Germain's heartfelt bioplay dutifully chronicles Dr. Ruth Westheimer's inspirational life story…." — Time Out NY

About the Playwright:

Mark St. Germain is an award-winning American playwright, author, film and television writer.