Theater J Has Announced the Return of BECOMING DR. RUTH

The doctor is in, as Theater J's 2018 hit production of Mark St. Germain's Becoming Dr. Ruth returns for a four week run before transferring to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park where it plays for six weeks. Director Holly Twyford again joins forces with actor Naomi Jacobson to bring to life the story of renowned sex therapist and media personality Dr. Ruth Westheimer. Becoming Dr. Ruth runs March 27 - April 19, 2020, with press invited to Opening Night on Tuesday, March 31 at 7:30.

The biographical drama tells the inspirational and unlikely story of how Karola Siegel, born in Germany in 1928, grew up to become America's favorite sex therapist. Her parents managed to place her in the Kindertransport, even as they themselves could not flee the Nazis. Karola went to Jerusalem where, at age 17, she joined the Haganah as a sniper before continuing her education in France and ultimately immigrating to Washington Heights, NYC. There she struggled as a single mother, before getting her Ed.D from Columbia Teacher's College, finding love and embarking on a singular career.

That career is well known: "Dr. Ruth" became a pioneer in the field of radio and television sex therapy. She was on the radio and television on a series of programs throughout the 1980's, urging her audience - in her heavily-accented English - to "get some." Like Dr. Ruth herself, St. Germain's play is candid and funny, conveying Westheimer's dignity and resilience as she made her unique place in the world.

"When we first programmed Becoming Dr. Ruth for Theater J in 2018," says Theater J Artistic Director, Adam Immerwahr, "we never could have anticipated the groundswell of enthusiasm for this play. Night after night, audiences were overtaken by Dr. Ruth's infectious enthusiasm and delicious wit. They were delighted by Holly Twyford's inventive direction on Paige Hathaway's whimsical set. More than anything, they fell in love with Naomi Jacobson's vivacious portrait of America's favorite sex therapist."

Equally enthusiastic was Dr. Ruth Westheimer herself, who came to see a performance and, afterward, explored the set with Jacobson, exclaiming at each beautiful diorama depicting a place she had lived.

Jacobson is ready to fill Dr. Ruth's figuratively large shoes again after garnering a Helen Hayes Award nomination for playing the role in 2018. "We can all learn from Dr. Ruth by realizing we have the capacity to overcome hardship and obstacles," Jacobson observes. "We are all strong, resilient and loving. We can live beyond survival and find joy."

To purchase tickets, go to www.theaterj.org or call the box office at 202-777-3210. Single ticket prices range from $39-$69.

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