Debra Jo Rupp to Channel Celebrated Sex Therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer in Becoming Dr. Ruth Off-Broadway
Is there a doctor in the house? Debra Jo Rupp (of That '70s Show fame) will channel Dr. Ruth Westheimer in Becoming Dr. Ruth, beginning October 11 at off-Broadway’s Westside Theatre. Directed by Julianne Boyd, Mark St. Germain’s new comedy tells the story of the celebrated sex therapist's life—all while doling out some sage advice. The production will open on October 29 and is scheduled to play a limited engagement through January 12, 2014.
Everyone knows Dr. Ruth from her career as a pioneering radio and television sex therapist. Few, however, know the incredible journey that preceded it. From fleeing the Nazis in the Kindertransport and joining the Haganah in Jerusalem as a scout and sniper, to her struggles to succeed as a single mother coming to America, Becoming Dr. Ruth is filled with humor, honesty and life-affirming spirit of Karola Ruth Siegel, the girl who became “Dr. Ruth.” Originally titled Dr. Ruth, All the Way, the show premiered at the Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield, MA, in 2012, then transferred to TheaterWorks in Hartford, CT, in May 2013.
Rupp appeared on Broadway in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, but is perhaps best known as Kitty Forman on TV’s That ‘70s Show. Her additional film and TV credits include Big, Death Becomes Her, Better With You and She’s Out of My League.
Becoming Dr. Ruth features set design by Brian Prather, costume design by Jen Moeller, lighting design by Scott Pinkney and sound design by Jessica Paz.
