9/14/23: Jaja's African Hair Braiding
What: Manhattan Theatre Club presents Jocelyn Bioh's new play, a slice of life day at a hair braiding salon, where women compete and bond alternatively, all on the day of Jaja's green card wedding.
And? I loved it. Jocelyn Bioh is such a fine writer with a real sense of voice and humanity. At the performance I saw there was a sudden illness and so understudy Victoire Charles stepped in, script in hand to cover the role. She did amazing work, even balancing her script with prop business in a way that felt natural. The rest of the cast is similarly top-notch, from the emotional centers of Dominique Thorne (Marie) and Brittany Adebumola (Miriam), to the more comedic turns of Maechi Aharanwa (Ndidi) and Nana Mensah (Aminata), to the three actors doing triple duty as customers or walk-in vendors: Kalyne Coleman, Lakisha May, and Michael Oloyede. As the fish out of water new client Jennifer, Rachel Christopher brings a wide eyed sweetness, and cameoing as the titular Jaja in gorgeous wedding dress, Somi Kakoma has all the presence and charisma that makes it clear how she is able to run her salon and attract all these wonderful personalities to her. Bioh wrote this play as a love letter to the women of these salons: the hair braiders and the clients, and it's a stunning tribute to them; as directed by Whitney White, this cast feels like a true community. Also props to David Zinn's perfect salon scenic design.
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