America’s most iconic sex therapist, Dr. Ruth, taped an onstage interview December 3rd for her newly launched YouTube channel with Martin Rayner, who stars as Sigmund Freud in FREUD’S LAST SESSION. Afterwards, the two got cozy on Freud’s couch for photos.
The runaway hit play by Mark St. Germain also stars Mark H. Dold as C. S. Lewis. FREUD’S LAST SESSION is the winner of the 2011 Off Broadway Alliance Award for Best Play and the show recently celebrated its 500th New York performance at New World Stages (240 West 50th Street). Additional productions of FREUD'S LAST SESSION are set through 2012 in major markets across the nation and around the world including London, Madrid, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Los Angeles, Stockholm, Mexico City, Chicago, Seattle, Atlanta, Orlando, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Palm Beach.
At a recent event for health marketers at Google’s New York office, Dr. Ruth Westheimer told the crowd that she launched her YouTube comeback to bring her years of experience to a new generation. “What has not changed is the need for human interaction,” she said. Still cheeky, the 83-year-old celebrity doctor admitted that she has other objectives too: “I want to make money. I don’t want to sit at home.”
Under the direction of Tyler Marchant, FREUD’S LAST SESSION centers on legendary psychoanalyst Dr. Sigmund Freud, who invites the young, rising academic star C. S. Lewis to his home in London. Lewis, expecting to be called on the carpet for satirizing Freud in a recent book, soon realizes Freud has a much more significant agenda. On the day England enters World War II, Freud and Lewis clash on the existence of God, love, sex, and the meaning of life – only two weeks before Freud chooses to take his own. Not just a powerful debate, this is a profound and deeply touching play about two men who boldly addressed the greatest questions of all time. Mark St. Germain’s celebrated new play was suggested by the bestselling book The Question of God by Harvard’s Dr. Armand M. Nicholi, Jr.
Playwright Mark St. Germain has written the plays Camping with Henry and Tom (Outer Critics Circle and Lucille Lortel Awards), The Best of Enemies, Out of Gas on Lover’s Leap, and Forgiving Typhoid Mary. With Randy Courts, he has written the musicals The Gifts of the Magi, Johnny Pye and the Foolkiller and Jack’s Holiday. TV credits include Writer and Creative Consultant for The Cosby Show. Mark co-wrote the screenplay for the acclaimed film Duma, and he directed and co-produced the documentary My Dog: An Unconditional Love Story featuring Richard Gere, Glenn Close and Edward Albee, among many others
Mark H. Dold appeared on Broadway in Absurd Person Singular, and his Off-Broadway credits include Shockheaded Peter, Comic Potential, Race, The Winter’s Tale, Othello, The Seagull, Romeo and Juliet, Spread Eagle, and Timon of Athens. Regionally, Mark has appeared at the Mark Taper Forum, Old Globe (San Diego Critics Circle Award), Chicago Shakespeare, Shakespeare DC, Long Wharf (Connecticut Critics Circle Award), Trinity Rep, and Yale Rep.
Martin Rayner’s Broadway credits include The Invention of Love and Sixteen Wounded. His Off-Broadway appearances include Travels with My Aunt, Gates of Gold, Henry V, and Kit Marlowe. Martin’s favorite regional roles were at Yale Rep: Underground and You Never Can Tell; McCarter: Loot; American Repertory Theater: King Lear and When We Dead Awaken; Wilma: The Invention of Love and The Magic Fire. TV credits include Dr. Chaotica on Star Trek: Voyager, Frasier and Benjamin Franklin.
FREUD’S LAST SESSION is presented Off-Broadway by Carolyn Rossi Copeland, Robert Stillman and Jack Thomas. The performance schedule is Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2 & 8pm, and Sunday at 3 & 7pm. Tickets are $65 and are available at Telecharge.com 212-239-6200 or through www.FreudsLastSession.com. A limited number of $20 Student Rush tickets (cash only, with valid student ID) are available at the box office beginning three hours prior to each performance.
For more information, visit www.FreudsLastSession.com.
Martin Rayner, Dr. Ruth Westheimer
