Manhattan Theatre Club will debut Jocelyn Bioh’s play Jaja’s African Hair Braiding in the fall of 2023 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street).
Bioh wrote play and Whitney White will direct.
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Jaja’s African Hair Braiding is set in a hair braiding salon in Harlem where every day, a lively and eclectic group of West African immigrant hair braiders are creating masterpieces on the heads of neighborhood women.
During one sweltering summer day, love will blossom, dreams will flourish and secrets will be revealed. The uncertainty of their circumstances simmers below the surface of their lives and when it boils over, it forces this tight-knit community to confront what it means to be an outsider on the edge of the place they call home.
Performance dates and a full casting and creative team announcement will be shared in the coming months.
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The play will be produced under the leadership of MTC’s artistic director Lynne Meadow and executive producer Barry Grove.
Bioh is a Ghanaian-American playwright whose credits include School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play and the Public Theater’s Merry Wives, and director White is an Obie winner for Our Dear Dead Drug Lord.
Via Broadway World:
Jaja’s African Hair Braiding joins the previously announced New York premiere of Poor Yella Rednecks, written by Qui Nguyen and directed by May Adrales, in MTC’s 2023-2024 season.
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, MANHATTAN THEATRE CLUB’s artistic profile is defined by our sustained commitment to producing new theatrical works of the highest quality in our three theatres. We are dedicated to living playwrights, working with the most accomplished artists and launching new talent. Each season, we aspire to create an innovative, entertaining, thought-provoking, and diverse repertoire of exciting productions. Over five decades, MTC has grown from a small off-off-Broadway showcase into one of the country’s most prestigious and award-winning theatre companies, creating approximately 600 world, American, New York and Broadway premieres. Our productions have earned 7 Pulitzer Prizes, 28 Tony Awards, 50 Drama Desk Awards and 49 Obie Awards amongst many other honors. Our Broadway home is the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street) and our two Off-Broadway theatres are at New York City Center (131 West 55th Street). MTC is an anti-racist organization that respects and honors all voices, and upholds the values of community and equity. For more information, please visit www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com