Goldberg trained under acting teacher Uta Hagen at the HB Studio in New York City. She first appeared onscreen in "" (1982), an avant-garde ensemble feature by San Francisco filmmaker William Farley. Goldberg created "The Spook Show", a one-woman show composed of different character monologues in 1983. Director Mike Nichols saw Goldberg perform and "discovered" her. In an interview, Nichols recalled that he "burst into tears" and that he and Goldberg "fell into each other's arms" when the two first met backstage. Goldberg considered Nichols her mentor. Nichols helped her transfer the show to Broadway; where it was retitled "Whoopi Goldberg" and ran from October 24, 1984, to March 10, 1985; the play was taped during this run and broadcast by HBO as "Whoopi Goldberg: Direct from Broadway" in 1985.