For Black actresses navigating the traditional theater pipeline, much of the standard curriculum has leaned toward Eurocentric exemplars. Pinnock’s mastery, however, began at the crossroads of character work and unflinching Black storytelling. Goldberg’s material taught her how to craft a complete world from the ground up, using only voice, stance, and presence.
“Whoopi Goldberg was essentially my first Uta Hagen,” Pinnock explains. “I wanted to study the craft. I wanted to learn her subtleties and comedic timing. I wanted to know when audiences were laughing and what emotional beats she rode.”
That rigorous study of character has shaped Pinnock’s career. Well before Hollywood truly recognized her genius, she built a substantial digital footprint with her platform @BodyCourage. Her sharp wit and talent for spotlighting the absurdities of modern life earned her global recognition, most notably through viral Parisian bedbug sketches that drew coverage from Forbes, and online character work praised by Viola Davis and Cynthia Erivo.
The Intimacy of Sisterhood and Safe Spaces
The creative energy of the production intensified once the cast had the chance to meet the very person who conceived the piece during a guest appearance on The View. Goldberg opened up about the intimate, frustrating origin of why she created these monologues decades ago. “She was a single mom, exhausted by auditions where she wasn’t considered because she was unconventional,” Pinnock explains. “She was truly an out-of-the-box talent, and people didn’t know how to handle her. So she carved her own path with this material. And now, to be part of Whoopi Goldberg’s legacy—Whoopi Goldberg is a once-in-a-generation talent, a genuine gift—she has conquered every medium of entertainment,” Pinnock reflects on the EGOT winner.
That legacy is carried forward through a tightly collaborative, fiercely protective backstage environment. Pinnock emphasizes that theater inherently thrives on intimacy and trust, qualities that television sets often lack. “There’s a closeness and a trust there. We are sharing… As we work on these characters, we reveal personal stories and connections, and this is the safest space I’ve ever experienced as an artist, surrounded by Black women who are at the top of their game, yet incredibly kind and gracious.”
A Mirror for Every Soul
Now fully immersed in previews, Pinnock notes that an active audience has electrified the theater. “Having the audience present has shifted everything because we now know where the laughs land,” she says. Rather than a simple string of sketches, the show functions as a mirror for the broader community. “Each character carries a piece of their journey that will resonate with both me and the audience,” Pinnock observes. She finds profound humanity across the script, marveling at how “Kara Young embodies Fontaine, a former addict with a PhD from Columbia, elevating the character to stunning heights,” and how “Dominique Fishback portrays a young girl who looks to a surfer girl and confronts the whitewashed media that shapes Black girls’ self-image.”
When it comes to her own contribution, Pinnock taps into her lineage to portray the “Jamaican Lady,” a role that serves as a heartfelt homage to her family’s roots. “The beauty of being cast is that I am a first-generation Jamaican American, arriving from Jamaica, so it feels meaningful to honor my culture on stage and do it justice,” she remarks. “Telling the immigrant experience and a love story together matters deeply, because it’s not merely a string of character sketches. It’s about my grandmother’s and mother’s journey to the United States, and the adventures and misadventures they faced.”
The production threads these moving reflections with modern pacing. Pinnock describes Kerry Washington’s portrayal of a fast-talking surfer girl as a highlight, joking that we all know someone who grabs the plot and never lets go. “Kerry can literally take your breath away by the time we reach the ending. There are so many women who will see themselves in this, and the character is heartbreakingly real.” Paired with Kecia Lewis’s exploration of depression, shifting bodies, and perimenopause, the show leaves no stone unturned. “When I say there is something for everyone in this piece, I mean it,” Pinnock concludes. “This piece has changed me, and I get to witness that change every night, so I’m eager for audiences to connect with it.”
With the show officially open and running through the end of August, the buzz is growing. When asked what kind of contemporary word-of-mouth she hopes the production will inspire once audiences depart, Pinnock does not hesitate to craft the perfect text.
“‘Girl, come see the show. It is funny AF. But also amazing, and these women are killing it. Praise hand emoji, star emoji.’ That’s exactly what I want people to say.”
