Kerry Washington and director Whitney White are spearheading a revival of Whoopi Goldberg's seminal 1984 one-woman show, "The Whoopi Monologues," which opened Off-Broadway at Lincoln Center Theater's Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater on July 13 and is set to run through August 30. The production aims to shine a light on Goldberg's writing legacy, which Washington and White believe has been overshadowed by her performance. White described Goldberg as a "superhero" who defied societal limits placed on Black women, while Washington emphasized the need to canonize Goldberg as one of America's great playwrights.
The original monologues featured Goldberg portraying diverse characters, from a junkie to an immigrant Jamaican woman, all of whom were often marginalized or overlooked. The revival transforms the one-woman show into an ensemble piece, with Washington herself starring alongside Emmy nominee Dominique Fishback, Tony winner Kecia Lewis, NAACP Image Award winner Danielle Pinnock, and two-time Tony Award winner Kara Young. This ensemble approach shifts the focus from a singular performance to Goldberg's powerful and empathetic writing, making the characters and their stories accessible to a new generation.
The creators hope the revival fosters empathy among audiences by presenting stories of characters they might otherwise disregard. Washington noted that the show reveals the "main character energy" in everyone, while White added that "everybody's story has something in it that could change your life." Goldberg's original work earned her a Grammy Award for its HBO broadcast and a 2005 Tony nomination for a revival, but this production specifically aims to solidify her reputation as a groundbreaking playwright.
