Becoming Dr. Ruth written by Mark St Germain starring
Amy Griffin as the estimable Dr. Ruth Westheimer
and Directed by Kevin Connors at the Music
Theatre of Connecticut (MTC) may be
just what the doctor ordered for a night of inspiration! We saw the play on
opening night, and it was riveting. Now more than ever, we can all use a bit of
positivity in our lives, and the play, Becoming Dr. Ruth delivers
in abundance. The play runs until February 21, 2021 and is available via
Live Stream tickets or in person at the theatre in Norwalk, Connecticut. Bravo!
To fully appreciate the play, Becoming Dr. Ruth, written by
Mark St. Germain, we thought it would be interesting to learn more about the
actual Dr. Ruth Westheimer before experiencing the performance at MTC. We had
the pleasure of interviewing Kevin Connors, Director and Co-Founder of MTC,
and actor Amy Griffin who plays Dr. Ruth in the play, Becoming
Dr. Ruth. What we learned about Dr. Ruth Westheimer was eye opening. Long
before she became the radio darling of the airwaves as a sex therapist speaking
frankly about sexuality with humor, honesty, and a glint in her eye in 1980,
she had an amazing life-altering journey.
Amy Griffin (Dr. Ruth)
Becoming Dr. Ruth
For Dr. Ruth Westheimer, born Karola Ruth Siegel in Germany in
1928, her life has been one major obstacle after another, yet she has remained
a beacon of positivity. Her father died in a concentration camp during the Holocaust,
she was sent on a Kindertransport out of Nazi Germany at the age of 10
to a Jewish Orphanage in Switzerland, and most unbelievable of all, she went to
Palestine at 17 and was trained to fight as a sniper in the Palestine War (1947-1949)!
All this from a woman who physically only stands 4 foot 7 inches! Tiny in
stature, she is a giant in her heart and how she approaches life. She is an
inspiration as someone who not only survived life's tragedies and difficulties
she is someone who has thrived and has done so with humor and acceptance! Her
life's journey has involved living in Germany, Switzerland, Israel, and France,
before coming to the United States. She
has been married three times and became a US citizen in 1965 and makes her home
in New York. With her backstory revealed to us through the interviews with
Kevin and Amy, we could not wait for the show to begin!
Interview with Actor Amy Griffin
Amy Griffin
Amy Griffin has an impressive acting resume including appearing on
Broadway in the original cast of How the Grinch Stole Christmas and in
the First National Tour, as well as countless other National Tours,
Off-Broadway, and Regional plays. When asked about the role of Dr. Ruth,
she replied, as an actor if you get an opportunity - you take it! When she
received the opportunity to take on the role of Dr. Ruth in the
one-woman production of Becoming Dr. Ruth, she took it!
Amy Griffin (Dr. Ruth)
Becoming Dr. Ruth
While she had appeared in 2-person and 3-person productions, doing
a solo-show was another acting challenge for her. As memorizing dialogue for a
90-minute solo performance was daunting, she conjured up the real Dr. Ruth as
her inspiration to meet the new challenge head-on. Yes, you feel the fear, and
you do it anyway! Asking herself and often remarking to her husband, "What
would Dr. Ruth do? she knew she would do it! She used that courage to help her
prepare for the role of Dr. Ruth, watching lots of footage on Dr. Ruth, and
learned that one of Dr. Ruth's gifts is that what you see is what you get. She
can be blunt, she is honest, and she is upbeat. In short, she is an
inspiration.
Interview with Director and Co-Founder of the MTC Kevin Connors
MTC Co-Founder and Director Kevin Connors is a true believer in
the industry mantra that the show must go on! When the theatre closed in March
2020 due to the pandemic, MTC held virtual events for the community, and he
worked with Equity all summer regarding a safety plan for when they could
reopen. The theatre's goal is to keep staff employed while ensuring the safety
of the staff and audiences. Scrapping their 2020 - 2021 plays, they had to
offer modified programming when they reopened in September. Gone were the
musicals as they would not meet safety guidelines and instead offered smaller
scale productions. To meet guidelines, seating had to be well-spaced creating
another a challenge for a smaller, theatre-in-the-round. As they say, necessity
is the mother of invention and this challenge was met by offering audiences the
opportunity to experience plays via Live Stream or in person. This new
programming option provided more people with the opportunity to experience plays
and opened new audience channels across the world.
Amy Griffin (Dr. Ruth)
Becoming Dr. Ruth
We were so excited when the MTC reopened and attended the October
2020 production of the solo-actor production of RFK starring
Chris Manual, which was wonderful! Patrons had their temperatures taken before
entering the theatre, and masks were required during the entire production.
Seating was well-spaced to protect the actor and the audience. For their
December 2020 show, It's
A Wonderful Life, A Live Radio Play, we
experienced the play via Live Stream, and it provided us with another
opportunity to experience live theatre, and it was wonderful.
Since founding MTC in 1987, Kevin Connors and Co-Founder Jim
Schilling have met many challenges; operating during a pandemic is just another
challenge that they are meeting head-on and bringing their loyal community of
theatre-lovers much needed entertainment and diversion. Bravo!
The Play
The play Becoming Dr. Ruth runs until February 21, 2021 and
is available by purchasing tickets via Live Stream or in person at MTC.
Amy Griffin (Dr. Ruth)
Becoming Dr. Ruth
We opted for the Live Stream option for the opening night,
Saturday, February 6, 2021. Although speaking with Kevin Connors and Amy
Griffin beforehand provided us with background information on Dr. Ruth, seeing
Amy Griffin actually becoming the estimable Dr. Ruth on stage was mesmerizing. Dr.
Ruth K. Westheimer's story and her life's journey will touch your heart. It is
a play of love, tragedy, humor, sadness, and ultimately joy at knowing the
story of Dr. Ruth, America's sweetheart. L'Chaim! (To life!)
Amy Griffin (Dr. Ruth)
Becoming Dr. Ruth
Bravo to Amy Griffin who transfixed the audience with her depth
of character, humor, and humanity she brought to the role, to Director Kevin
Connors, and to Playwright Mark St. Germain for sharing the vision
and the remarkable story of a remarkable woman - Dr. Ruth Westheimer! She is a
beacon of positivity in a world in desperate need of inspiration.
Amy Griffin (Dr. Ruth)
Becoming Dr. Ruth
Becoming Dr. Ruth, performance schedule: February
5 - 21, 2021, Fridays at 8:00 pm, Saturdays at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm, and
Sundays at 2:00 pm. Tickets available via Live Stream on In-Person.
Until next time, keep enjoying and supporting the arts!
Cast:
The
Creative Team:
Mark St. Germain
|
Playwright
|
Kevin Connors
|
Director
|
Jim Schilling
|
Stage
Manager
|
Lindsay Fuori
|
Scenic
Design
|
Diane Vanderkroef
|
Costume
Design
|
RJ Romeo
|
Lighting
Design
|
Will Atkin
|
Sound
Design
|
Claudia Stefany
|
Prop
Design
|
For information on the play, upcoming plays, or to purchase
tickets, please call the box office at +1-203-454-3883 or visit them on the
website at www.MusicTheatreofCT.com
Upcoming
Performances - 2020 - 2021
2021
Season
|
Dates
Running
|
|
|
Becoming
Dr. Ruth
|
February 5 - 21, 2021
|
Tenderly,
The Rosemary Clooney Musical
|
April 9 - 25, 2021
|
Buddy
- The Buddy Holly Story
|
July 15 - August 1, 2021
|
About MTC
"Music Theatre of Connecticut is the premier provider of musical theatre
performance and training. Founded in 1987, we produce an annual series of
Equity productions featuring New York professionals (MTC MainStage), numerous
annual student productions, and a conservatory-style School of Performing Arts
with curriculum-based training for students ages four through high school,
including the nationally-recognized College-Bound in the Performing Arts
program for performance career-focused high school students."
The Music Theatre of Connecticut (MTC) was founded in 1987
by Kevin Connors (Artistic Director and Co-Founder) and Jim Schilling
(Co-Founder), where MTC's focus is musical theatre performance and training.
Music Theatre of Connecticut
509 Westport Avenue
(Enter the Bright Beginnings parking lot and look for MTC's orange awning)
Norwalk, Connecticut 06851
United States
Box Office: +1-203-454-3883
Fax: +1-203-557-0496
Website: www.MusicTheatreofCT.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MusicTheatreCT
Instagram: @musictheatrect
Twitter: @musictheatrect
Follow the Music Theatre of
Connecticut on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MusicTheatreCT
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