Tony Award-nominated playwright Jocelyn Bioh took the Los Angeles stage by storm, ending the summer season with her play Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. Bioh’s play captured the hearts of the audience with a story surrounding sisterhood, a fight for belonging, cultural tradition, and resilience during a time of unexpected turbulence.
The play follows the story of a salon owner named Jaja and her team of West African braiders, Ndidi, Bea, Miriam, and Aminata. Throughout the play, Jaja’s presence remains absent as she prepares to get married with the intention of becoming an official U.S.citizen. While away, Jaja leaves her daughter, Marie, in charge of the shop to navigate through the day.
During the day, the salon experiences many twists and turns. From dreading to service microbraids to boosters coming and selling a pair of five-dollar socks for twenty dollars, you can never know what to expect. The ladies of the salon hold an unbreakable bond by connecting their history of hardship, life back home, and how it’s necessary to be cutthroat in a land where you’re considered an “other”. As audiences experience Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, the play conveys a timeless message about the invisible barriers immigrants face daily in a country that doesn’t consider them fully free.
Bisserat Tseggai, who plays the character Miriam, said, “African stories are grossly under-told, and as a child of an African immigrant, I feel honored to be part of representation, as immigrants can be the most colorful part of this country’s tapestry, as their contributions to society are very much undervalued.”
What we can learn from Bioh’s play is that no matter how much passion you embody, some aspirations are too far out of reach. Marie was brought to America as a child, but faces affliction because she remains undocumented. Marie conquered grade school with a relative’s identification and is forced to put her dreams on hold as she wishes she could pursue higher education to become a writer.
Marie’s circumstance is an example of what many young undocumented individuals weather through. Having a dream deferred because of not being born in America reflects the silent battle of being able to dream, but not to soar. Moments like this allow people to realise and understand the struggles and disadvantages that come with being an immigrant, and showcase the lengths parents are willing to go through to ensure a better future for their family.
Vandous Stripling II, an understudy who plays multiple roles, shared insight on the play’s impact:
“Being part of this production enables me to realize how important community is and to understand the gravity of what immigrants go through. So this experience enhances my empathy and makes me value and respect the fight they have to endure,” he said.
As the play unfolds, we witness the women of the shop encounter a series of life events. From romantic entanglements and lively gossip to clients’ chair hopping, and the painful reality of transnational families being separated from their loved ones. These experiences remind viewers that beyond every conversation and hairstyle, exists a deeper narrative of courage and fortitude to persevere and break past boundaries. Scenes like these leave the audience feeling both connected and reflective, moved by the strength and sisterhood that hold these women together, even when the world pulls them apart.
After the play, attendee Paul, last name not disclosed, said the way the ladies fellowshipped with each other really caught his attention. He said he can see that their bond is unbreakable, because when people work closely together for a period of time, obstacles are bound to arise. It’s when you make it through that reveals the passion that’s been there all along.
While the day dwindles, Jaja finally makes an appearance as she is ready for her wedding. There’s talk in the neighborhood about ICE raids, and without warning, audiences are met with sudden shock. Jaja is captured by immigration authorities. Without warning, explanation, or chance to say goodbye, Marie is left motherless, confused, and shaken. While this shift takes place, it highlights the heartache being departed can cause, reflecting the exact impact communities feel when a split occurs.
As the day comes to a close, the women gather around Marie, extending love, compassion, and support. They do not have answers, but they have each other; knowing this fight is another one they will have to conquer. The final scene embodies the heart of the immigrant experience– not defined by distance or struggle, but by the warmth of shared humanity, where every touch and word becomes an act of hope.
After the play, Melanie Brezill, who portrays multiple characters, left a message about the importance of community,
“If I can think of one message from this play, it would be that community is the answer. Community is how we are going to make it through with each other. All of us in the community, in all of our complexities as Black people, as people of African diaspora, as people from different walks of life, we are going to have to depend on each other if we are literally going to survive– so community is the way through.”