AN UNFORGETTABLE LAUGHTER-ETCHED LESSON
ON LIFE BY WALKING IN SOMEONE ELSE’S SHOES
There are two things to know about Jocelyn Bioh, playwright of Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, the theatrical sensation that’s currently delighting audiences in Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s The Yard and had Broadway in such a tizzy 15 months ago. She starts with character and, to take understatement to its outer limits, she has an ear for dialog. Add to that an irresistible story full of heart, laughter and raw reality and you have an idea why folks are stampeding to soak in its riches. Helping to ensure its magic stays intact, Whitney White directs Chicago Shakespeare’s production just as she did on Broadway.
Awa Sal Secka, Jordan Rice, Tiffany Renee Johnson, and Bisserat Tseggai
Bioh’s story about life inside an African braiding salon on a hot summer day in 2019 Harlem feels fresh and radical simply because it’s rarely seen on mainstream stages. For Bioh, however, it’s deeply familiar. Born and raised in New York to immigrant parents, she “grew up in hair braiding shops” and has been getting her hair braided since childhood. This intimate knowledge gives her a deep understanding of the braiders and clients who frequent these spaces, often to mark milestones like new jobs, weddings, and graduations. Hair salons, with their close quarters and time-intensive focus, naturally become vibrant hubs of community in a sometimes harsh world. Bioh brings this to life with magnetic characters and dazzling wordplay, amplified by White’s masterful direction and a stellar cast, resulting in an experience as dynamic as Fourth of July fireworks.
Aisha Sougou and Awa Sal Secka
When Jaja premiered cold on Broadway, it took over six months to assemble its large, exceptionally gifted cast—key to delivering Bioh’s message of struggle, perseverance, and hope with clarity and impact. Chicago’s cast rises to the same challenge, bringing their fictional characters to life with such authenticity that, despite the exoticism of their origin stories, they feel as familiar and relatable as close friends.
Aisha Sougou, Melanie Brezill, Awa Sal Secka, Jordan Rice,
Colby N. Muhammad, Tiffany Renee Johnson, Bisserat Tseggai, Mia Ellis
Delegating the shop’s operation to her daughter Marie (Jordan Rice) during the time we’re peering in, we don’t see or hear from Jaja (Victoria Charles) during much of the play. But her impending marriage to a white man is a topic that generates plenty of heated speculation in the shop. For Marie, bright enough to be valedictorian of her high school class, dreams of becoming a writer are hampered by her mother’s expectations and the realities of their immigration status. Every day carries with it an ominous question mark.
Awa Sal Secka, Aisha Sougou, and Melanie Brezill
The braiders, all hailing from African countries, become increasingly engrossing as the play unfolds. Some, like Miriam (Bisserat Tseggai), are deeply explored, while others, like Bea (Awa Sal Secka), remain enigmatically compelling. Bea’s current self—a natural instigator who stirs discord and fuels gossip—is enough to captivate us. In Sal Secka’s astonishingly masterful hands, Bea’s antics exude both majesty and pride. A veteran braider alongside Aminata (Tiffany Renee Johnson), Bea fiercely protects her clients like precious jewels, accusing fellow braider Ndidi (Aisha Sougou) of trying to poach them. Her insecurity underscores the fragility of their livelihoods and fuels much of the play’s humor.
Tiffany Renee Johnson and Colby N. Muhammad
Aminata’s burden is her philandering, unemployed husband, whom she criticizes bitterly but loves passionately. When Bea challenges her, asking if she’s so desperate for a man that she’ll tolerate being used, Aminata fires back by recalling Bea’s history of men leaving her, twisting the knife with a pointed remark about why Bea’s family no longer speaks to her. These sharp exchanges, seamlessly alternating with the warm, collegial humor of a tightly knit community, keep the narrative dynamic. They reveal the intricate layers of this world within a world, exposing the true essence of each character.
Bisserat Tseggai and Mia Ellis
As one of her clients learns, Miriam, one of the newest braiders, is nothing like the quiet reserved young woman she initially appears. Relating her story with disarming charm, she tells how an unfulfilling marriage, an affair with an entertainer, giving birth to her lover’s child and divorce drove her to leave Sierra Leone to seek a new life in America. She’s anything but glum. Centered and purpose driven, there’s a spirit-fueled effervescence that fills her character. The whole atmosphere of the show radiates that same feel of unfettered resolve and is embellished by native accents that enchant like music, aided by Dede Ayite’s marvelous costumes that mix traditional African wear with contemporary street chic. David Zinn’s spot-on set, with its perfect reflection of colors and tone, ideally mirrors the aura of similar establishments you’ll find in Chicago, Houston, LA and many other cities.
Awa Sal Secka (Bea), Colby N. Muhammad (Vanessa/Sheila/Radia),
Melanie Brezill (Michelle/Chrissy/LaNiece), Victoire Charles (Jaja),
Bisserat Tseggai (Miriam), Jordan Rice (Marie), Tiffany Renee Johnson (Aminata)
So immersed and enthralled do you become in the shop’s family of lives that you’re completely caught off guard by the sudden interjection of the catastrophically unexpected. How will they respond to this ground shifting development? That answer is one of the many things that makes Jaja’s African Hair Braiding such a lasting pleasure and a template for facing life’s inevitable and most challenging difficulties.
photos by T. Charles Erickson Photography
Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
Chicago Shakespeare Theater
The Yard on Navy Pier, 800 East Grand Avenue
ends on February 2, 2025
for tickets, call 312.595.5600 or visit Chicago Shakes
for more shows, visit Theatre in Chicago
