Straight from a twice-extended Broadway run, Jocelyn Bioh's excellent play "Jaja's African Hair Braiding" is making its regional debut in The Yard space at Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier.
It is easily one of the most entertaining and satisfying pieces of theater you're likely to see all year.
Tony-nominated Ghanaian-American playwright Bioh and award-winning director (from Chicago) Whitney White bring a beautiful sense of authenticity to this day-in-the-life story following a group of West African immigrant braiders working in a hair salon.
The hair salon (or, in some cases, the barber shop) is a glorious place in many Black communities. It is a space for beauty and a hub for information, commerce, and image-making. It is also where this comedic gem takes place.
The play features a group of fascinating and charming salon workers who must contend with the blazing heat of a single July day in 2019 while dealing with the many customers, friends, spouses, and hustlers who pop in and out of the beloved Harlem-located business.
We are introduced to the cast of characters, played by a truly outstanding ensemble of actresses in brilliantly constructed fashion, with each woman and their backstory showcased in hilarious, insightful vignettes that slowly reveal the wonderful family dynamic within the salon itself.
The center figure of the play is Marie (an extraordinary Jordan Rice), the salon owner's undocumented high school graduate daughter, who helps run the place while hoping for a brighter future.
Marie's friendships and interactions with the employees of "Jaja's" are the core of the play, which contains a hilarious mixture of terrific comedic performances (some of the best ensemble work to be seen on a Chicago stage in a very long time), sight gags, and big heartfelt laughs.
But "Jaja's" is much more than that. It is also a deeply affecting examination of life in America for immigrants, the Black community, and everyday folks just trying to get by in the city while navigating the complex world of what this country was like in 2019.
The timing of "Jaja's" opening at Chicago Shakes the week before Donald Trump's second inauguration —on Martin Luther King Day— adds even more passionate immediacy to the themes of displacement, pressure, and insecurity found among certain targeted parts of inner-city communities across the country.
This 90-minute one-act breezes by quickly in a lovely, funny, energetic fashion. Still, it is also a very timely and important work that doesn't shy away from big issues and powerful statements. It all works magnificently, and I loved every single minute of it.
White's direction of the actors is stellar, and her staging of the action within the salon is creative, efficient, and smart. I've always been a sucker for a single-location play that takes place in one day, and this is about as perfect as that specific type of work gets.
You feel the authenticity of the workplace thanks to a remarkably stylish and brilliant set designed by David Zinn, fantastic costumes by Dede Ayite, lively video work from Stefania Bubarella, and, of course, incredible hair and wig design by Nikiya Mathis.
Jaja's shop comes to vibrant life and feels completely real, lived-in, and natural because of the tech work and the truly amazing performances of the exceptionally talented ensemble.
The stellar cast includes very special work from Melanie Brezill, Leovina Charles, Victoire Charles, Yao Dogbe, Mia Ellis, Tiffany Renee Johnson, Awa Sal Secka (a true standout), Aisha Sougou, Bisserat Tseggai, and the aforementioned Rice.
"Jaja's African Hair Braiding" is a remarkable piece of work on every level and is one of the most entertaining nights I've had at the theater in a long, long time. Funny, sweet, insightful, and ultimately deeply moving, this is one of the best and most expertly executed plays I have seen on any Chicago stage.
It is another triumph for Chicago Shakes, which consistently creates and presents memorable theater. Great stuff.
"Jaja's African Hair Braiding" plays at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre at Navy Pier through February 2nd, 2025. For tickets, call (312) 595-5600 or go to chicagoshakes.com.
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