Winnipeg Jewish Theatre's Becoming Dr Ruth  February 8 – 14, 2021    Online     wjt.ca 
https://www.wjt.ca/season/becoming-dr-ruth-by-mark-st-germain-2021

Ruth Westheimer, known to the world as sex educator Dr. Ruth, is 92 years old and still a force of nature. “She embraces life!” says actor Mariam Bernstein. “She’s a very lively presence on Twitter. She posted a beautiful thing when she got her vaccination, encouraging people to do the same. She is not slowing down.”

Bernstein’s enthusiasm for Dr. Ruth comes from the extensive research she did for her award-winning 2018 performance of this biographical play. The 2021 online show is a recently filmed version of the same production, with its fascinating, intricate set and props and Bernstein’s terrific performance.

She watched and listened to films and recordings of Dr. Ruth to learn about her accent, the music of her voice, and her movement, but more important was to show the essence of this dynamic woman. “It was really important to me to encapsulate her joie de vivre, her intelligence, her passion about what she does, her passion about her family and what family means to her. She’s mesmerizing to watch. She’s so entertaining and so clear and so engaging, that I want to find that in the portrayal as well.”

Born in Germany in 1928, Westheimer was separated from her family when the war began. Much of her life has been shaped by the loss of her parents and grandmother when she was so young, and her upbringing in an environment where she was safe, but her thirst for learning was not nurtured.  This Holocaust experience is one of the central stories of the play.  Others build on her deep love story, and the importance of her children. “The family grounds her,” says Bernstein.

In her work, as an author and film producer, along with her media presence as a popular sex educator, “she is the embodiment of tikkun olam on a daily basis,” says Bernstein, “That is really inspiring.”  She was an innovator, the first to popularize frank talk about sexuality.  It began with a fifteen-minute radio show “tucked away in the wee hours of the morning, when no one would be offended by it, they hoped, and became an international sensation.” Bernstein is excited to describe Dr. Ruth’s impact: “She is such an advocate for women’s rights! And for honesty and openness about human sexuality and how it affects our entire lives. She broke down so many boundaries.  She was so open and non-judgemental. She touched millions of lives! It’s an incredible legacy.”

Bernstein was glad to revisit the role, and to spend several days filming the play.  During the pandemic she has had no opportunity to play for live audiences.  She has done some film and TV work, and really enjoys teaching emerging actors online. She is pleased, too, that this online production can reach a new audience.

“Her story deserves to be seen, and enjoyed, and valued.  There are things people will be very surprised at who don’t know her story except for her fame as a sex therapist. It’s quite a life!”

Here is the trailer for WJT's Becoming Dr. Ruth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9rqDuI_L6Y&feature=youtu.be

[Editor's Note: Here is a link to Jane Enkin's 2018 review of WJT's Becoming Dr. Ruth starring Miriam Bernstein
https://www.winnipegjewishreview.com/article_detail.cfm?id=6835&sec=6&title=Jane_Enkin_Reviews_Becoming_Dr._Ruth ]