Cleveland Play House highlights America's favorite sex therapist with new production 'Becoming Dr. Ruth'

For people of a certain age who grew up in the 1970s and '80s, the first time they heard about certain sexual body parts wasn't always from a birds-and-the-bees conversation with parents. Instead, it was on the television from a grandmotherly figure making a guest appearance on a talk show or over the radio from her own call-in program. Armed with an engaging personality delivering advice with an equally thick and maternal German accent, she talked about shocking things — often mentioning male and female genitalia by name. Of course, we're talking about Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer, who before becoming a radio and television personality escaped Nazi Germany on the Kindertransport. She was later an Israeli sharpshooter before moving stateside as a single mother. The life story of America's favorite sex therapist has become the popular play "Becoming Dr. Ruth," which the Cleveland Play House presents April 1 through 23 at the Outcalt Theatre. "Even with my awareness of Dr. Ruth, I had no idea of her history and how she got to be where she is today," "Becoming Dr. Ruth" director Holly Twyford said. "I knew her from her book ... and she was on television. She was kind of the funny little lady who talked about sex but to really understand the roots of her life. ... "This woman is amazing. She's alive at 94 years old and she has not missed a beat. She's just a powerhouse. It's always an exciting story to tell. If the idea of theater is to get sort of closer and closer to the actual human condition, this shows so many colors of that. It's always really good to work on." The upcoming production actually marks the third time Twyford has helmed "Becoming Dr. Ruth" with award-winning actress Naomi Jacobson playing the titular role. "Naomi is a dear friend of mine and also an obviously talented actress who works all over the country," Twyford said. "Every time we do it we just continue to find more layers and more interesting sort of parts to the story." Armed with a keen sense of self-promotion delivered with wry humor and candor, Dr. Ruth from the '70s through the '90s pulled off one of the most impressive bait-and-switch tricks. While often cited in a Johnny Carson or David Letterman punchline regarding the latest escapades of Madonna or Liz Taylor, the talk show host and author shamelessly parlayed being in the national conversation in an effort to change and open up how the public talked about and viewed sexual awareness. She also saved lives speaking about AIDS prevention before such a discussion became part of the public discourse. Therein lies the power of Dr. Ruth, who despite being diminutive in stature proved to be a giant in life. More so, she overcame so many hurdles. That's what Twyford hopes audiences take away from "Becoming Dr. Ruth," which for some could act as a mini-therapy session filled with laughter and tears. "She went through unspeakable sort of tragedies and somehow met it with joy," Twyford said. "She says in the play, 'I was raised to the age of 10 with so much love in my house.' That sustained her through all of the things that she went through. "The other thing, unfortunately, is the fact that the kind of hatred that she experienced in Nazi Germany is happening right now. It's nationwide, this rise of antisemitism. This is something we should never forget where it led."Contact John Benson at ndiffrence@att.net. IF YOU GO WHAT: Cleveland Play House presents "Becoming Dr. Ruth"WHEN: April 1 to 23 (times vary)WHERE: Outcalt Theatre, 1407 Euclid Ave., Cleveland TICKETS: $25 to $75INFO: 216-241-6000 or clevelandplayhouse.com