Dominique Fishback, Kecia Lewis, Kerry Washington, Danielle Pinnock, Kara Young (Photo: Angela Marie Orellana)
The Whoopi Monologues
By Fern Siegel on July 27, 2026
When The Whoopi Monologues opened in 1984 on Broadway, it showcased Whoopi Goldberg’s acting and writing chops. In its revival at Lincoln Center’s Mitzi Newhouse Theater, five actresses take on the challenge — and deliver an ensemble performance that veers between funny, insightful and heartbreaking.
The roles are endlessly varied. From a 20–something junkie to a teen surfer, a Jamaican housekeeper to a menopausal woman, Goldberg’s script details the distinct joys and sorrows of a woman’s trajectory.
Directed by Whitney White with rhythmic ease, the varied performances take a deep dive into character within a limited frame. Each actress peels back layers of personality as they narrate their singular story.
A self-described “dope fiend” (Kara Young) isn’t just a lost man. A Columbia Ph.D. in literature with an appreciation of painting, he has an awakening at the Anne Frank House. The experience of airplane food is a particularly humorous moment.
A teen beach lover, who sounds like a Valley Girl, reveals naivete and shock — the trauma of parental rejection. Kerry Washington’s facial expressions and body movements perfectly capture the simplicity and confusion of youth, as does Dominique Fishback, who plays a 7-year-old black girl desperate to be white and blonde. Danielle Pinnock portrays a Jamaican woman who accompanies a 90-year-old she dubs “the Old Raisin” to the U.S. The outcome is so surprising, it makes the tale almost fantastical, a celebration of chance.
Conversely, Kecia Lewis, Tony winner from Hell’s Kitchen, ends the show as Lurleen, grappling with aging, diminished sexuality and menopause. She, like Pinnock, is a comedic queen. She proudly walks us through all the indignities and freedoms that aging brings, according each manifestation an emotional reality. And much like her co-stars, every monologue has a twist.
Kara Young (Photo: Angela Marie Orellana)
Goldberg is an astute social critic, whether confronting race, identity, age or disappointments. The writing is viable in any decade, as are the inevitable social and physical realities the women face. There is no need to update or revise the show, especially one aided by a nuanced and stellar cast.
White, who directed Liberation last fall — another female-centric show — uses occasional musical interludes to keep the pace lively. All five actors march in and out of doors in Studio Bent’s set design, which reminds us of backstage dressing rooms, as well as life’s passages, while sustaining a theatrical totality. Qween Jean, who won a Tony for costume design for Cats: The Jellicle Ball, is responsible for costumes. Lighting by Cha See, sound by Fan Zhang and video design by Hana S. Kim nicely tie the production together.
The Whoopi Monologues stands on its own merits, aided by a tight ensemble. Forty-two years after the original opening, its strong script still resonates.
At the Lincoln Center Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater
150 W. 65 St.
Running time: 1 hour 40 minutes,
through August 30, 2026
Tickets: www.telecharge.com/The-Whoopi-Monologues-tickets
