(AGENPARL) – gio 12 ottobre 2023 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 12, 2023
A New York Times Critic’s Pick!
“HOT & HILARIOUS AND RIOTOUSLY FUNNY! Jaja’s is a buffet of delights.” – The New York Times
“BRILLIANT! A powerful tale about joy, dreams, community, and sisterhood.” – Entertainment Weekly
Extended Again
Two More Weeks Added
Through Sunday, November 19
Manhattan Theatre Club
and Madison Wells Live
with LaChanze & Taraji P. Henson
Present
JAJA’S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING
A poster for a movie
Description automatically generated
At MTC’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow (Artistic Director) and Chris Jennings (Executive Director), and Madison Wells Live with LaChanze and Taraji P. Henson are pleased to announce another extension of the world premiere of Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, written by Jocelyn Bioh (School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play) and directed by Whitney White (Our Dear Dead Drug Lord), now running through Sunday, November 19 at MTC’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47^th Street). Tickets for the additional two weeks of performances are on sale now.
Critics are saying:
“WICKEDLY ENTERTAINING! Perhaps not since “Hair” itself have flowing locks and what are attached to them made such a becoming impression onstage.” – The Washington Post
“HOT & HILARIOUS AND RIOTOUSLY FUNNY! Jaja’s is a buffet of delights, full of treasurable moments when the drama feels tightly woven with the comedy.” – The New York Times
“WAVES OF GLEE ROLL THROUGH THE AUDIENCE on the regular. People are cackling, downright screaming with delight. There’s something exhilarating about listening to people snap and holler and cheer not because they’re seeing someone famous but because they’re seeing someone they know.” – New York Magazine
“BRILLIANT! A powerful tale about joy, dreams, societal and familial expectations, community, politics, loss, and sisterhood.” – Entertainment Weekly
“BRISTLING WITH WIT AND HUMOR, JAJA’S HAS BOTH STYLE AND SUBSTANCE!” – The Daily Beast
Manhattan Theatre Club offers audiences Beyond the Stage content, which is designed to enrich our audiences’ experience. Purchase a ticket and join us for “A Part of the Culture,” a series of post-show conversations at the theatre:
BLACK BUSINESS WOMEN: Join us the evening of October 12 for an intimate conversation spotlighting the Black women impacting their communities with their entrepreneurial spirit and drive. Moderated by Creator and Executive Producer of She Did That Renae Bluitt with panelists Kim Capers (Hip Hop Film Festival) and Harlem’s own Princess Jenkins (The Brownstone Woman).
AFRICA NIGHT: Come to the Friedman in your best finery because October 18 is Africa Night at the shop! Join us for an evening of celebration in collaboration with African Restaurant Week, Africa Center, and Chi Talent Management where we will salute African arts, food, and culture. Join us for a lively gathering at an African Restaurant Week sponsored venue offering special discounts following the performance.
The cast of Jaja’s African Hair Braiding  features Brittany Adebumola (“The Other Black Girl”), Maechi Aharanwa (The Misanthrope), Rachel Christopher (for colored girls who have considered suicide/…), Kalyne Coleman (“So Help Me Todd”), Somi Kakoma (Dreaming Zenzile), Lakisha May (Skeleton Crew), Nana Mensah (“Presumed Innocent”), Michael Oloyede (Inanimate), Dominique Thorne (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) and Zenzi Williams (Mobile Unit of Henry V).
This dazzling world premiere welcomes you into Jaja’s bustling hair braiding shop 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. This extraordinary new play is by the award winning Ghanaian-American playwright Jocelyn Bioh (School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play) and will be directed by Obie winner Whitney White (Our Dear Dead Drug Lord).
The creative team for Jaja’s African Hair Braiding includes David Zinn (Scenic Design); Dede Ayite (Costume Design); Jiyoun Chang (Lighting Design); Justin Ellington (Original Music & Sound Design); Stefania Bulbarella (Video Design); Nikiya Mathis (Hair & Wig Design); Dawn-Elin Fraser (Dialect & Vocal Coach); Caparelliotis Casting, Kelly Gillespie, & Erica Hart (Casting); and Melanie J. Lisby (Production Stage Manager). 
The 2022-23 season marked Lynne Meadow’s 50th Anniversary as Artistic Director of Manhattan Theatre Club. Meadow was joined in summer 2023 by Chris Jennings, MTC’s new Executive Director. MTC’s mission, which Meadow created in 1972 and has implemented over five decades of award-winning theatrical productions, is to develop and present new work in a dynamic, supportive environment; to identify and collaborate with the most promising new as well as seasoned, accomplished artists; and to produce a diverse repertoire of innovative, entertaining, and thought-provoking plays and musicals by American and international playwrights. Since 1989, MTC Education, which uses the power of live theatre and playwriting to awaken minds, ignite imaginations, open hearts, and change lives, has also been an important corollary to MTC’s work, reaching thousands of students and educators worldwide each season.
TICKETING INFORMATION
# # # #
______________________
BoneauBryanBrown1, 500 7th Avenue, New York, NY 10018 United States