'da Kink in My Hair

by Trey Anthony

Set in a West Indian hair salon in Toronto, ’da Kink in My Hair introduces us to a group of women who tell us their unforgettable, moving, and often hilarious stories. Mixing laughter and tears—and told in words, music, and dance—the stories explore the hardship, struggles, and joys of their lives. ’da Kink has been staged in Toronto and New York and served as the basis for a recent drama special on Vision TV.

Genres: Plays, Canada, Canadian Literature

96 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2005

Reviews

[chantel nouseforaname · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I tell you that I seen this play for the first time last year and it was incredible. Some 25-30 years after its original debut and it hits.

I was in a play-reading mood (LOL)and was reading a few different plays and this got caught up in my line of sight. Even after seeing the play, and seeing some of the show when it was on television years ago, it’s even more powerful to read the words that Trey Anthony wrote. I can picture her putting this together. I can see the experiences she’s drawing from - how much of your soul it takes to lay these experiences bare.

There are so many common stories here. So much accuracy. Sisterhood. She captures various interconnected Jamaican-Canadian/Caribbean women’s experiences on so many levels. When I went to see the play, that bitch was PACKED, no seats left, wall to wall! As it should be!

I’m so glad that I borrowed this text from the library and that it exists for future generations to read and experience. It’s legendary.

[Q · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how this play reminds us that every person we encounter has a life full of experiences…that we don’t know about. It’s a reminder to not judge too soon and to have empathy. I love how this play humanizes Black women. This is just such a lovely piece of work. <3

[Macy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will always love collections of vignettes--especially those that comment on womanhood and identity--and this is no exception. The CBC recording is a must-listen.

[Kahmal Sealey · Rating 4 out of 5]

'da Kink in My Hair had the essence of a real-life hair salon, using the various woman, all from different walks of life; to cover topics ranging from suicide to homosexuality to colorism. A black woman's hair is almost an unintended statement of the type of person you are/how you live your life, so it was really interesting to hear the various explanations, fears, and reasonings from the range of characters.

It did lose me a bit as it transcended reality and became quite abstract when the main character, Novelette, was able to 'psychically intune' woman's lives just by touching their hair alongside various characters switching from English to Patois in a way that didn't seem authentic.

[kathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-podcast...
I listened to a performance of this play from the above podcast link. All the performers were excellent. A great variety of stories and personalities geniously put together through the venue of a hair salon. Music, poetry, philosophy of life through tragedy, humour, the everyday and the exceptional.

[kennedy]

read this for class , really good !!

[Kashka Akeila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved every page, word and visual.

[behsforensics]

2018: NSDA DI Finalist

[annika · Rating 5 out of 5]

as a woman of colour, it was incredibly powerful and affirming for me to see these Black women’s stories told with so much care, honesty, and depth… honestly so amazing.