Whoopi Goldberg is one of the most talented artists in Hollywood today. Her fun and charismatic demeanor reveals itself in all her character portrayals. Far from a dabbler, her experience has graced the film industry, television, theater and music. Stony Brook University was very lucky to have her perform at the Staller Center for the Arts on Saturday, Mar. 10. From the second she walked onto the stage, the audience remained engaged and thoroughly entertained.
The event, titled ‘An Evening With Whoopi Goldberg’ showed the audience, mostly a mature, collected group of academics, a different side of Goldberg, unlike the one seen in movies such as ‘Ghost’ and ‘Sister Act.’ She engaged the audience in a thoughtful discourse, where’ the topics ranged from language, the changing behaviors of today’s youth, politics and social issues, to the entertainment world.
Goldberg proved that she is capable of maintaining an appealing, intellectual discussion. A very humble and down to earth woman, she commands attention. She is very involved in charity work and sincerely hopes to get her messages across and make a positive impact on the world, with special care in mind for future generations. Well-spoken and articulate, her confidence is addictive. She has a talent for adding humor and making a serious situation light.
Goldberg spent a significant time discussing the changing world and how her childhood and adolescence were different from the experiences and the world that her grandchildren now face. She projected a number of very profound observations. In reference to the use of ‘bad’ language and how society views certain words with disregard when it shouldn’t, she said, ‘Words are very strange now.’
She also mentioned how her grandchildren, and children in general, face real life situations that were not even relevant when she was a child, such as school shootings. She very accurately and knowledgeably questioned, ‘Who have we become?’
Goldberg very cleverly juxtaposed the changes that she as a person is undergoing, just that the United States, as well as the world, is going through changes.’ She added humor to bring her point across to the audience. She admitted reminiscently, ‘Things have changed,’ and realized that she misses how life used to be in the United States. ‘A lot was finished forever. Things were going to close and be done,’ she added.
At the close of her discourse, there was a question session for the audience members. When asked who her greatest teachers were, Goldberg responded, John Kennedy and her mother. When asked about her favorite film in which she appeared, she responded that she cannot separate herself from her own films, and as a result, she hasn’t seen any of them. However, she had the best time working on ‘Inherit the Wind Again.’
On the topic of legacies and the American political system, Goldberg commented that life is a cycle and while our system is flawed, it is better than most. She stated that as long as she still has the right to speak out against what she feels is wrong, she is satisfied. If she were to choose another career, she would have chosen to ‘be a shrink.’
Goldberg’s vision for the future includes working on the AIDS epidemic, and ‘finding a more civil way to exist in the world.’ She hopes to ‘encourage more dialogue and connection.’ As her last statement she said, ‘I want to make sure that I’m planting seeds as I go.’
A very talented and versatile artist, Whoopi Goldberg was a pleasure to watch, especially in person. She hinted that a visit might be in store next year.
