Cast and Creative Team Set for JAJA'S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING at Arena Stage

For information and tickets, please visit arenastage.org/jajas.

“Kicking off my inaugural season at Arena Stage with a dynamic new production fresh from its Broadway run is exhilarating,” said Arena Stage Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif. “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding promises to have audiences laughing throughout. Opening with a comedic gem from a brilliant playwright like Jocelyn Bioh is a fantastic way to Dream Forward in our 2024/25 Season. Her work sparks conversation through humor and realism, inviting audiences to engage with the art while reflecting on their own lived experiences.”

Jaja’s African Hair Braiding twists comedy, community, and culture into a theater experience that is not to be missed. Audiences are invited to follow the uproarious escapades of a lively and eclectic group of West African immigrant hair braiders as they shape masterpieces on the heads of neighborhood women. A beautiful reflection of the ins, outs, and hustle of everyday life, this hilarious workplace satire unravels the complexities of cultural identity, assimilation, and the pursuit of the American Dream within the African immigrant community. During one sweltering summer day, love will blossom, dreams will flourish, and secrets will be revealed.

The cast will include Melanie Brezill (Broadway’s The Book of Mormon) as Michelle/Chrissy/Laniece, Victoire Charles (Broadway’s Jaja’s African Hair Braiding) as Jaja, Yao Dogbe (Round House Theatre’s Topdog/Underdog) as James/Franklin/Olu/Eric, Mia Kiri Ellis (Trinity Repertory Company’s The Mountaintop) as Jennifer, Tiffany Renee Johnson (Goodman Theatre’s School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play) as Aminata, Bisserat Tseggai (Soho Rep’s For All the Women Who Thought They Were Mad)  as Miriam, Colby N. Muhammad (La Jolla Playhouse’s Love All) as Vanessa/Sheila/Radia, Jordan Rice (Ava DuVernay's Selma) as Marie, Awa Sal Secka (Signature Theatre’s Ragtime) as Bea, and Aisha Sougou (The Marriott Theatre’s Beehive, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) as Ndidi. Understudies will be announced at a later date.

Tony nominee White (Jaja’s African Hair Braiding) will be joined by the creative team from Manhattan Theatre Club’s sold-out run, including three-time Tony-winning set designer David Zinn (Broadway’s Stereophonic), the first Black woman to win a Tony Award for Best Costume Design of a Play Dede Ayite (Jaja's African Hair Braiding, Arena’s American Prophet), Tony-nominated lighting designer Jiyoun Chang (Stereophonic, Arena’s Ride the Cyclone), Tony-nominated original music and sound designer Justin Ellington (Jaja's African Hair Braiding), Tony-nominated projection designer Stefania Bulbarella (Jaja's African Hair Braiding) and 2024 Special Tony Award-winning hair and wig designer Nikiya Mathis (Jaja's African Hair Braiding). This production will also include associate director Manna-Symone Middlebrooks, dialect and vocal coach Yetunde Felix-Ukwu, stage manager Mandisa Reed, and assistant stage manager Jamie Berry. Casting is by Caparelliotis Casting, Kelly Gillespie, and Erica Hart.