Ruth Sophia Reinprecht (January 8, 1939 – September 30, 2013), professionally known as Ruth Maleczech, was an American avant-garde stage actress. She won three Obie Awards for Best Actress in her career, for Hajj (1983), Through the Leaves, (1984) and Lear (1990) and an Obie Award for Design, shared with Julie Archer, for Vanishing Pictures (1980), which she also directed. Her portrayal of King Lear as an imperious Southern matriarch in Lear was widely acclaimed.