Jaja's African Hair Braiding - 2023 Broadway History , Info & More
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (Broadway)
261 W. 47th St. New York, NY 10036
This dazzling world premiere from Jocelyn Bioh welcomes you into Jaja’s bustling hair braiding salon in Harlem where every day, a lively and eclectic group of West African immigrant hair braiders are creating masterpieces on the heads of neighborhood women. During one sweltering summer day, love will blossom, dreams will flourish and secrets will be revealed. The uncertainty of their circumstances simmers below the surface of their lives and when it boils over, it forces this tight-knit community to confront what it means to be an outsider on the edge of the place they call home.
Jaja's African Hair Braiding - 2023 - Broadway Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Jaja's African Hair Braiding
JAJA’S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING an Unbridled Joy — Review
9 / 10
Through tensions and extensions, Bioh’s day-in-the-life play never loses its comedic potency, and its ensemble shines throughout. When Jennifer (Rachel Christopher), an aspiring journalist who walks in at open to get micro-braids, everyone deflates with knowingly exhausted chagrin. By the time she leaves, almost at close, she, and us, can hardly believe it’s time to go.
Jaja’s African Hair Braiding review – wildly entertaining but overstuffed
7 / 10
Make no mistake, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding is wildly entertaining. Bioh’s comedic skills are masterful, ballooned further by a talented ensemble. Mensah, in particular, brings a bracing dry humor, an excellent complement to the cast’s energetic antics. But the urge to sink into drama, particularly in the play’s last moments, is unnecessary. Bioh’s commitment to showing levity is refreshing. It’s a needed counterbalance to African stories that reek of debasement (often puppeteered by white people), and the increasing number of first-gen comedies committed to mocking the immigrant experience for a chortle. Jaja’s is at its best when its characters are allowed to be defined by indignation and empowered in their essential craft, not used to underline the trauma within the US immigration process.
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Jaja's African Hair Braiding FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Jaja's African Hair Braiding History
Other Productions of Jaja's African Hair Braiding
| 2023 | Broadway |
Manhattan Theatre Club Original Broadway Production Broadway |
| 2026 | West End |
West End |
Jaja's African Hair Braiding - 2023 Broadway Awards and Nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play | Brittany Adebumola |
| 2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Play | Jocelyn Bioh |
| 2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Wig and Hair | Nikiya Mathis |
| 2024 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance | Zenzi Williams |
| 2024 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Direction of a Play | Whitney White |
| 2024 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Play | Jaja’s African Hair Braiding |
| 2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Costume Design (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Dede Ayite |
| 2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Play | Jocelyn Bioh |
| 2024 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Play | Dede Ayite |
| 2024 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Play | Whitney White |
| 2024 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Jocelyn Bioh |
| 2024 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Play | David Zinn |
| 2024 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Play | Justin Ellington |
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