Off-B'way Review: The Whoopi Monologues

Kecia Lewis (center) and cast of
The Whoopi Monologues.
Credit: Angela Marie Orellana

Back in 1984, the comedienne-actress Whoopi Goldberg seemed to come out of nowhere, bursting onto Broadway with an eponymous, self-written one-woman show presenting a quartet of characters rarely seen on what was then universally known as the Great White Way. She presented a sharp-edged, female, African-American perspective on our society. Her material was skewed in a comic way yet also achingly real and somewhat tragic. Goldberg went on to EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) status and now is best-known as a political commentator/talk-show host on ABC’s The View. She did headline a revival of her breakthrough piece in 2004 called simply Whoopi, adding a fifth segment addressing then-current concerns. 

A revival of Goldberg’s show, with five different performers enacting each monologue, has been given an imaginative and vital staging by Whitney White at Lincoln Center’s Off-Broadway Mitzi Newhouse Theater. Though several of the allusions are dated (a commercial promoting Jamaican tourism, The Love Boat, dearth of racial minority representation on TV), the basic themes of political oppression of women, a lack of abortion access and little compassion for addiction are sadly still relevant. Divvying up the material diffuses the impact slightly and exposes the thinness of much of the material. Goldberg impressed with her versatility and comic timing (HBO filmed the event as a comedy special if you want to see Whoopi’s original performance). Fortunately, the current cast deliver complex, deep characterizations and encourage vocal audience reactions. In addition, White provides a varied staging with the aide of Studio Bent’s backstage-style set, Cha See’s versatile lighting, Hana S. Kim’s off-kilter videos and Fan Zhang’s edgy sound and original music. Qween Jean’s costumes combine street reality with individual style.

Kara Young in The Whoopi Monologues.
Credit: Angela Marie Orellana

The amazing double Tony winner Kara Young who is fast becoming one of New York’s most reliably exceptional actresses, leads off the show with her spiky portrayal of Fontaine, a wily male drug addict who has an epiphany when visiting the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam. Her physical comedy movements as well as her unflinching liming of the gruff but ultimately humane junkie give life to a full person in a relatively brief time on stage. The only quibble I had with this segment is we don’t learn nearly enough about Fontaine. He reveals he has a PhD in Literature from Columbia and ends up a psych ward, but not enough about his journey from one to the other. 

Danielle Pinnock in The Whoopi Monologues.
Credit: Angela Marie Orellana

Kerry Washington mines the humor and pathos in her segment of a seemingly shallow teen surfer girl. What starts out as a broad satire of a stereotypical California beach dweller becomes a shattering tragedy as she has to deal with an unwanted pregnancy. Danielle Pinnock has a riotous good time as a Jamaican caregiver working for a randy old white man she refers to as the “Old Raisin.” Her heavy accent did make most of her early dialogue incomprehensible, but the gist of the character’s resourcefulness and joie de vivre was delivered. Kai Heath (covering for Dominique Fishback at the performance attended) was a believably insecure child who covers her natural black hair with a white shirt, pretending the garment is long blonde tresses. This short segment artfully and simply conveys the pain of not seeing yourself represented in media. The girl fantasizes about growing up to become white and living in Barbie’s Dream House, but comes to accept herself with help from the audience.

Kecia Lewis, Tony winner from Hell’s Kitchen, has the juiciest vignette in the piece added for the 2004 revival. As Lurlene, a woman facing menopause and depression, Lewis runs the gamut from a riotous mocking history of inconvenient menstruation productions to the depths of contemplating suicide to celebrating her freedom from the monthly “visitor” and society’s expectations. The evening ends with all five actresses on stage, celebrating their diversity and dancing to disco-era songs, a fitting finale to a fun show.  

July 13—Aug. 30. Lincoln Center Theater at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, 150 w. 65th St., NYC. Running time: one hour and 45 mins. with no intermission. lct.org.