Hair, All About It
Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.
May 31 – June 22
Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati
1107 Vine St.
Tickets for adults start at $30; student tickets are $28; and children are $24.
See more at www.ensemblecincinnati.org.
Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (ETC) is stressed to impress to close its 2024–2025 season,
Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, written by award-winning and Tony-nominated Ghanaian American playwright Jocelyn Bioh (School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play), makes its regional premiere this weekend.
This laugh-out-loud comedic gem is a riotously funny yet deeply resonant play that celebrates the indomitable spirit and interconnectedness that define us all.
At Jaja’s bustling hair braiding salon nestled in the pulsating heart of Harlem, a lively community of West African immigrant hair braiders weaves together humor and heart. Amidst the laughter and playful shop talk, a diverse group of women share dreams, love stories, and hidden secrets, all while creating stunning braided masterpieces. On a sweltering summer day, the lighthearted banter reveals deeper reflections on the challenges of feeling like outsiders in their own neighborhood, sparking a powerful exploration of identity and belonging, and confronting what it means to be an outsider on the edge of the place they call home.
“One of the things I love about Jaja’s is all these voices and ideas converging in this one place,” says ETC Producing Artistic Director D. Lynn Meyers. “It’s important to celebrate a community’s voice in a way that feels accessible and understandable and that can be empathetic as well as celebratory. These women’s lives are changed in an instant by powers beyond their control. I think it’s essential in our world to recognize what other people may be up against that we’re unaware of as we go about our daily lives.”