THE HANGOVER REPORT – Jocelyn Bioh’s exuberant JAJA’S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING is a blast of feel goodness, until it’s not

Nana Mensah and Lakisha May in Manhattan Theatre Club’s production of “Jaja”s African Hair Braiding” by Jocelyn Bioh at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (photo by Matthew Murphy).

This week, Manhattan Theatre Club’s production of Jaja’s African Hair Braiding by Joscelyn Bioh opened on the Great White Way at The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. The production marks the Broadway playwriting debut of Bioh, who is perhaps best known for penning the winning play School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play. Set over a fateful single pre-pandemic day at a hair braiding shop in Harlem, the new play depicts the stories of the West African immigrants who work there, as well as their vivacious interactions with each other and their clients.

As with School Girls, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding is an exuberant, crowd-pleasing concoction. For much of its 90-minute running time, the work is a joyride. Bioh leans in on the situational comedy, to sparkling results. Although not much happens in terms of plot – does there always have to be an arc? – I was really quite satisfied simply taking in the playwright’s tangy dialogue and bearing witness to the myriad of characters wander in and out of the frame. The work is a vivacious, organically-stitched quilt that’s a blast of feel-goodness, until it’s not. Late into the play, the dramatic wheels make themselves apparent, and boy do they turn in earnest (no spoilers here). Although the shift is jarring and gives the work a lopsided structure, the turn of events sheds somber light on the characters’ tenuous existence in this country, as well as the fragility of the ecosystems in which they seemingly thrive.

The top notch production has been confidently directed by Whitney White, who is – like the playwright – also making her Broadway debut with the show. She and her knockout ensemble cast give the piece a wonderfully natural sense of pacing and a vitality that’s both defiant and joyous. Kudos also to the design team (scenic design by David Zinn, costume design by Dede Ayite, and most importantly, hair and wig design by Nikiya Mathis), who give the play a loud, bold look that mirrors Bioh’s utterly delightful work in the words department.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

JAJA’S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING
Broadway, Play
Manhattan Theatre Club at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
1 hour, 30 minutes (without an intermission)
Through November 5

Categories: Broadway, Theater

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