Jaja's African Braiding Shop

Jaja's African Braiding Shop

There's a lot of talk these days about Black women leaning into softness, and while that sentiment is true for many and even achievable for some, it's not remotely realistic for others.african braiding shop That's particularly true for African immigrant women like the ones who work at Jaja's African Hair Braiding, a bustling West African salon in central Harlem that is the setting for Jocelyn Bioh's brilliant play now on Broadway. This is a portrait that illustrates everything it takes for Black women, especially immigrants, to survive in this country—and the community they build among themselves while doing so.

The play opens on a steamy July morning in the shop, as Marie (Dominique Thorne), a frazzled recent high school graduate, hurries in to open the place up for the day.african braiding shop She's accompanied by sweet-hearted braider Miriam (Brittany Adebumola), whose dreams of bringing her young daughter from Sierra Leone to New York City have been stalled by Marie's lack of immigration papers, which are required to apply for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

As the women get to work, they begin to unravel the complexities of their lives.african braiding shop Bea is fuming over her scoundrelly husband, while Miriam reveals to a client that she had an affair in her homeland that she still carries guilt about.

Aside from the drama that inevitably ensues, it's a pleasure to watch these women work their magic. They're skilled and meticulous, and their products are a testament to the beauty of traditional African culture and heritage. The braiders work in a world that feels authentic, thanks to set designer David Zinn's technicolor vision of a busy salon, with its walls painted a deep pink and flatscreen TV tuned to a Nollywood movie more enticing than any you'd find in theaters these days. Carts full of combs, braiding gel and oil sheen sliding across the floor add to the sense of time and place that's conveyed so well by the piece.

Bioh's script is vibrant and resonant, with an intoxicating energy that keeps things upbeat while never shying away from the hardships these women face daily. She gives each character her own lived-in experiences, with a cast that includes Lakisha May, Rachel Christopher and Kalyne Coleman as the salon's clients. The whole thing is a testament to the power of theatre and its capacity to give voice to underrepresented stories and people.