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Nollywood Dreams
Jocelyn Bioh
Jaja's African Hair Braiding
by Jocelyn Bioh
Broadway
Highlights
90 mins Present Day Role(s) for Black Actor(s) Interior Set Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes Comedy
Awards & Recognition
Drama Desk Award Tony Award
Winner! Two 2024 Tony Awards Nominee: Four 2024 Tony Awards, including Best Play Nominee: Two 2024 Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Play
Synopsis
Jaja’s African Hair Braiding in Harlem is a salon full of funny, whip-smart, talented women ready to make you look and feel nice-nice.
On this particularly muggy summer day, Jaja’s rule-following daughter Marie is running the shop while her mother prepares for her courthouse, green-card wedding... to a man no one seems to particularly like.
Just like her mother, Dreamer Marie is trying to secure her future; she’s just graduated high school and all she wants to do is go to college.
While Marie deals with the customers’ and stylists’ laugh-out-loud drama, news pierces the hearts of the women of the salon, galvanizing their connections and strengthening the community they have longed to make in the United States.
Centered on a community of vibrant Black craftswomen, all of whom shine with lived-in warmth and well-observed qualities, Jocelyn Bioh’s Tony-nominated play tells these women’s stories with delicacy and dignity.
A show for anyone who’s ever had braids or wondered about the stories of these pillars of the Black community.
Press Reviews
"Bioh pays tribute to the bonds women share... You will be entertained, enlightened and moved."
— New York Amsterdam News
"Hot and hilarious… a riotously funny workplace comedy."
— The New York Times
"Bristling with wit and drama."
— The Daily Beast
"Bioh breathes both joy and grief into these women within her stellar script, giving them each their own distinct personalities and lived-in experiences… The result is a play that is equally as affecting as it is hilarious."
— Entertainment Weekly
Characters
| Character |
|---|
| JAJA 40s+. Senegalese; owner of the shop. The backbone and/or saving grace of everyone in the shop. Getting married today in city hall to Steven, the landlord of a local building. |
| MARIE |
| BEA (pronounced “Bee”) – 40s. Ghanaian; has been at the shop the longest; the neighborhood gossip with an unpredictable attitude – she seems addicted to causing drama... but is rarely ever wrong. |
| MIRIAM early to mid-20s. Sierra Leonean; very kind and seemingly quiet on the surface but has a fierce spirit underneath her shell; loves the idea of love and is the epitome of an optimist. |
| AMINATA 30s. Senegalese; fun, sexy and charming. She loves her job and is good at it but also loves to hang out at the shop as well. The shop is both her job and her favorite place to be social. Has a tumultuous and passionate marriage; Bea’s sidekick in gossip and drama when necessary. |
| NDIDI (pronounced “IN-Dee-Dee”) – Late 20s/early 30s. Nigerian; the young spitfire; she dresses the youngest and braids the fastest. Everyone at the shop knows that she makes the most money and that doesn’t always go over well with everyone – namely Bea. |
| JENNIFER 20s. Black American; aspiring journalist; comes to the shop wanting to get micro braids and is in the shop all day; incredibly patient and caring. |
| VANESSA 30s. Super rude customer that no one wants to deal with. Also plays |
| SHEILA 30s. The friendly but loud-talking businesswoman. She enjoys a little gossip like the next person. Also plays |
| RADIA (pronounced like “Nadia”) – 18ish. One of Marie’s former classmates. |
| MICHELLE 20s. The nervous client who doesn’t want trouble and just wants to get her hair done peacefully. Also plays |
| CHRISSY 30s. Really wants braids that will “make her look like Beyoncé.” Also plays |
| LANIECE 20s. A regular at the shop; works as a DJ so she always gets funky braid styles. She likes to have a good time and loves a good meal. |
| JAMES 30s. Ghanaian; Aminata’s on-again, off-again husband who clearly takes advantage of her. Also plays |
| FRANKLIN, THE SOCK MAN 30s. Black American; quick-talking and friendly neighborhood salesman just trying to make a living. Also plays |
| OLU, THE JEWELRY MAN 30s. Nigerian; a shy, honest man just trying to make a living; has a bit of a crush on Ndidi. Also plays |
| ERIC, THE DVD MAN 30s. Senegalese; the caring DVD man who looks out for his friends. |
Videos
Jaja’s African Hair Braiding – 2024 Tony Award Nominee
Publication
Jaja's African Hair Braiding is a comedy play written by Jocelyn Bioh and published by Dramatists Play Service .
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Performance Rights
Available for Licensing
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