Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – The power of the theatrical monologue on full display in the revitalized return of THE WHOOPI MONOLOGUES, as it was in Audible’s NEW BORN

• By drediman
• July 14, 2026
• No Comments

This spring and summer, I was enthralled by a pair of starry Off-Broadway productions that demonstrate the full power of the theatrical monologue form — these would be Lincoln Center Theater’s production of The Whoopi Monologues by the iconic comic Whoopi Goldberg and Audible Theater’s production of New Born by Ella Hickson. As always, read on for my thoughts on these captivating nights at the theater.

THE WHOOPI MONOLOGUES
Lincoln Center Theater the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater
Through August 30

Last night, Lincoln Center Theater’s production of The Whoopi Monologues (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) opened Off-Broadway at the Mitzi Newhouse Theater. Originally written and performed on Broadway by Whoopi Goldberg to star-making effect in 1984 (she revived the piece, revised and updated, again in 2004), the solo show — then simply entitled Whoopi Goldberg — is essentially comprised of a quintet of monologues that shed empowering light on the lives of an eclectic group of Black Women. Much like Ntozake Shange’s 1975 path-forging “choreopoem” for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf, these portraits are in turn humorous, heartbreaking, and inspiring. The current iteration of the piece distributes these monologues amongst five extraordinary actresses. Although missing Goldberg’s virtuosic transformations from one character to the next, this setup allows for a theatrical experience that celebrates community and sisterhood, in addition to giving each actress their own moment in the spotlight, which they seize with ferocity. Particularly stellar is two-time Tony-winner Kara Young as a volatile and multi-faceted drug addict, as was the regal Kesha Lewis — another Tony-winner — who closes out the show in perhaps the meatiest and fully formed of the show’s portraits, playing a menopausal woman finally finding her authentic voice in the world. But really, there are no weak links in the bunch. More upbeat are film and television star Kerry Washington as a razor sharp and ultimately tragic surfer-cum-valley girl; Dominique Fishback as an irrepressible young girl who innocently dreams of having blond hair one day; and Danielle Pinnock as a deliciously voluptuous Jamaican woman, transplanted to the United States, to care for (or contend with?) a dirty old man. Soulfully and lovingly directed by the multi-talented Whitney White — who here is doing some of the best work of her career — the net result is one galvanizing night at the theater.

NEW BORN
Audible Theater at the Minetta Lane Theater
Closed

As of late, the folks over at Audible Theater have had a good thing going down at the Minetta Lane Theater — one of Off-Broadway’s more storied theatrical venues — where the theater company has taken up residence in recent years, presenting one thoughtful, polished production after another (e.g., Mexodus, What Happened Was…, Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes) — effectively amounting to one of New York’s few instances of repertory theater. Joining this distinguished group of productions this past spring was Ella Hickson’s New Born (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), a collection of thematically-related monologues chronicling the heartache and layered complexities of the human experience — particularly as it relates to the painful process of change and loss — through the lens of three finely-etched characters. Each quietly devastating yet clear-eyed, these three character studies were superbly performed with aching matter-of-factness by the trio of Sepideh Moafi, Marianna Gailus, and Hugh Jackman. Starting things off was Moafi, in an unassuming yet heartrending turn, who played a mother and wife who is unexpectedly whisked away by the glamour and excitement of celebrity life, but in exchange for the ephemeral satisfactions of family life. The evening continued with Gailus’s fierce account of a woman in 19th century Wyoming, whose search for a missing friend leads to surprising revelations about her community. The final segment was anchored by Jackman, who portrayed a tree doctor on a winding, often surprising path through love, life, and fatherhood. Collectively, the three monologues illuminated the spectrum of psychological and emotional shadings of life’s twists and turns. As with Tom Noonan’s What Happened Was… and Hannah Moscovitch’s Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes (the latter of which also starred Jackman), Audible Theater’s production of New Born was directed by Ian Rickson with sensitivity and beguiling intimacy on essentially a bare stage littered with props and pieces of furniture.