Jaja's African Hair Braiding

by Jocelyn Bioh

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.

Genres: Plays

68 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2024

Reviews

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5, rounded down.

Nominated for six Tony Awards last year (and winning two - for Best Hair & Make-up and Costume), this could be unfairly dismissed as just a black version of Steel Magnolias. And though superficially similar, detailing the trials and tribulations of a group of beauticians in the titular establishment, it also carves out its own path combining comedy and drama, and telling some Trump-era home truths not operational at the time of the former.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/03/th...
https://variety.com/2023/legit/review...
https://ew.com/theater/theater-review...
https://www.vulture.com/2023/10/theat...
https://www.thedailybeast.com/broadwa...
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2023/1...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD8Iu...

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slice of life drama that lets you soak in the rich and vibrant lives of these women before making a turn that you really only see coming when you've read it before. It's easy to get invested in their various money troubles, work troubles, and man troubles while the bonding and fighting and work happens all around. Funny, heartwarming, and hopefully a call to action when performed today.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lively and entertaining with interesting characters. Not surprised to see that it's being staged often. I would have more to say, but I read it in "American Theatre" magazine several months before it was published and accepted on Goodreads.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great play. The community built between the characters felt so natural and real. it was funny, emotional, and extremely topical to what's happening today with immigration. I would love to see this performed one day.

[Jon Nadler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful. Shows what US immigration policies are doing to families. Politicians should be required to read this and then explain how ICE fits the teachings of Jesus.

(Spoiler: they don’t.)

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this play about a group of braiders in Harlem

[Bobby Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Might be the best play I've read all year.

[Ava K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engrossing and complex and just such an enjoyable read.

[Anna-May Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need to see this turned into a sitcom!!

[Michael Galvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jaja's had humor and heart, it was powerful and current. PLEASE READ THIS PLAY!