Review: JAJA'S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING at The Arts Factory

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the opening night performance of Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, written by the award-winning Ghanaian-American playwright Jocelyn Bioh, directed by Donna Bradby, and produced by the women-led theatre company, Three Bone Theatre.  This comedic-drama showcased West African hair braiders with stereotypical personalities that could be found congregating in a typical beauty shop or hair-braiding salon as this depiction showcases.  We have that “uppity client”, Sheila, (EJ Williams) who is overly-demanding to the point of being disrespectful.  She displayed an air of arrogance and entitlement and insisted that the braider only utilizes her own  specific products.   

The competitive “crab in the barrel” mentality of the hair-braiders vying for customers and the animosity that ensued were clearly conveyed by the hair-braiders Bea (Valerie Thames) and Ndidi (Sarah Oguntomilade). Although the braiders work in close proximity with each other, they appear divided in perspectives and ideologies.  To keep their income negotiations separately, each braider secretly stepped outside with their potential clients to discuss pricing, another symbolism of the division that existed, even though they appeared to be in the "same boat".

Although there were some very humorous moments, the plight of immigrants constantly facing the possibility of deportation and their effort to establish citizenship by marrying a U. S. citizen is a real-life dilemma for some.  This message was strongly conveyed through the shop owner, JaJa’s character (Myneesha King).  I loved JaJa because she established a business based on an integral part of her African heritage (hair braiding) and the people and culture it employed in a country that promotes the inherent motto,  “Land Of The Free” yet her freedom was in constant jeopardy because she was still bound by laws and legislations that prohibited her from truly being FREE  and those laws limited the possibility of establishing a “better life’ for her child, Marie (Deity Brinson).  It is so ironic that immigrants can establish a business and can be hired for “cheap labor” in this country but cannot easily establish citizenship here.  It’s that invisible “WALL” that is subliminally built to keep immigrants shut out of their pursuance/desires of permanent citizenship.  So, they live in daily fear of mass deportation by U. S. Immigrant and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as portrayed in this dramatization.

I want to applaud Three Bone Theatre and its staff for mounting such a relatable stage production. It was thought-provoking as well as entertaining.  The final scene left me inquiring about what might have happened to Marie and if there was hope for JaJa possibly receiving asylum in this country.  Maybe the door was left open for a part two. 

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