Whoopi Goldberg on Stage and Screen

The name Whoopi Goldberg conjures images of laughter, sex, surprise, versatility, African heritage and Jewish identity, to name a few. How did she become such a major player in Hollywood and the larger world? This book provides an overview of some of Goldberg’s most important efforts on Broadway and in motion pictures and television and the world of social activism.
Major features include comparative analyses of Goldberg’s work in relation to that of such notable performers as Bert Williams, Jackie “Moms” Mabley, Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Billy Crystal, Robin Williams and Dave Chappelle, as well as in-depth analyses of her work as the fictional Celie in the major motion picture The Color Purple; her Oscar-winning role as the fictional Oda Mae Brown in Ghost and her cultural impact as an American woman working.

Lisa Pertillar Brevard, Ph.D., a member of ASCAP, is part of the core faculty for humanities at Walden University. She lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Lisa Pertillar Brevard
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 264
Bibliographic Info: bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2013
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6887-4
eISBN: 978-1-4766-0008-6
Imprint: McFarland

Preface 1
1. Made in America 3
2. The Influence of Jackie “Moms” Mabley and George Carlin 20
3. An American Artist in Hollywood 36
4. Black and Blue(s): Celie as Blueswoman in The Color Purple 57
5. The Impact of Richard Pryor and Bert Williams 79
6. Sister Rhythm and Blues: Sister Act Success 100
7. A Shoulder to Cry On/A Woman to Stand Strong 125
8. Crossing the Lines: Acting and Activism 166
9. Playing the Part: The Actor as Sidekick and Supporter 185
10. Returning to Her Roots: Back to Broadway and Beyond 213
Works Cited 233
Index 251

• “Brevard examines Goldberg’s career from an American and women’s studies focus on identity and working American women”—Reference & Research Book News.