Kerry Washington is set to star in The Whoopi Monologues off Broadway, running at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater. The show previews on July 7 ahead of a July 13 opening.
Along with Washington, Kara Young, Dominique Fishback, Kecia Lewis, and Danielle Pinnock complete the cast.
Speaking with “Extra,” Washington said she recalled seeing the show as a child.
“I first saw the show at HBO, and it totally blew my mind,” Washington said. “It really transformed my idea of what was possible for an actor. And what was possible to achieve in the theater in terms of having an impact on people’s hearts and minds. I’ve always loved the work. I memorized the work as a young child, and I loved the idea of bringing it to new audiences.”
Washington also lauded the work of Whitney White, the director of the show.
“And to be led by Whitney White in this process, you know, she’s just such an extraordinary director. Her heart is enormous, and her brain is just tremendous. And so to get to link arms and work on this material together, along with the rest of our amazing cast, has just been, like, a joyful sisterhood.”
The Emmy winner also spoke about being allowed to curse to quote the monologues in front of her parents,
“Our show, ‘The Whoopi Monologues,’ opens with some profanity. We have a junkie character named Fontaine who’s beloved. Fontaine says, ‘Around the world in 80 mother effing days.’ And my parents let me quote the show, walking around the house singing that song. My mom really understood that on the other side of those swear words was a real dive into humanity. And into really being able to open your heart to somebody else’s reality and existence. So that’s what we’re trying to do,” said Washington.
When asked how she felt about her children using profanity, Washington said, “Well, my kids haven’t seen the show yet. But it’ll be interesting to see what lands for them and what they take away from it.”