JAJA'S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING Previews- Page 2

[BroadwayGuy12]

Posted: 9/27/23 at 8:55pm

I was able to catch this this afternoon and would like to echo the praise here. Between School Girls, Nollywood Dreams, and now Jaja's African Hair Braiding, Jocelyn Bioh is officially on my list of "playwrights whose work I'll buy tickets to as soon as it's announced."

This features tremendous work all around - writing, directing, acting, design. I'll gladly join kwoc91 in that Tony campaign for Zenzi Williams, who I thought was sensational. The entire play felt so lived in, and I could have easily spent many more hours with these characters.

[BroadwaysBroad]

Posted: 9/28/23 at 7:11am

A friend gave me a comp for this weekend - 

is there an intermission!

[gibsons2]

Posted: 9/28/23 at 8:22am

BroadwaysBroad said: "A friend gave me a comp for this weekend -

is there an intermission!"

There's no intermission, it's 90 minutes long. I will be in the minority here, but I think that getting a comp ticket is exactly the right price for this show. 

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 9/28/23 at 1:21pm

Run has been extended a week, now ending November 5th. 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 10/13/23 at 11:47am

I had a very fun time at this show. Every actor on stage seems to be having the time of their lives. The majority of the play is hilarious and light and very entertaining- I was quite taken aback by a strong tonal shift near the end that left me in tears. Definitely recommend this one.

 

I could see it taking the Pulitzer.

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 10/14/23 at 11:59pm

everyone--on these boards, at the NYT, etc.-- is right.  this show is a gem.

i loved the humor. i loved the way whole characters sprung out of the dialogue within minutes. i loved the set. i loved the very diverse audience, roaring with laughter, and gasping as necessary.

i loved Brittany Adebumola and Nana Mensah and ESPECIALLY Zenzi Williams, who snatches every scene she's in. 

i did find the last 5 minutes rather clumsy, and since everything leading up to it was so perfect, its clumsiness was all the more disappointing. not only did you see this speed bump coming from the jump, but the right turn moment was played over the top by Dominique Thorne. and the political point being made is such a worthy one, im surprised this one plot device wasnt workshopped more.

but the first 95 minutes were such fun, who cares? i loved it. see it before it closes.

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 10/15/23 at 12:51am

It was great fun, with equally well-crafted exposure and examinations of intersectional experiences. I do find a few places a bit janky and could use some trimming, but overall it was an enjoyable afternoon on multiple levels. The ending is heavily hinted at throughout the show, but I do agree that the handling of it is a bit clumsy and could be, well, more "lived in"? Bad word choice I know, but I do think it could benefit from letting the complex emotions that the ending evokes sit with the audience for a bit and make it more impactful than somewhat didactic. But other than this, I think MTC found a great gem. 

[Shubert Alley Cat]

Posted: 10/15/23 at 12:30pm

Can someone use spoiler tags and share the surprising development that occurs at the end of the show?

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 10/16/23 at 12:02pm

Second extension - now available through November 19th! 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 10/21/23 at 7:42pm

I saw this show this week, on my semi-annual NYC trip.  Thoroughly enjoyed it, with a little 'but'.  I wanted a second act.  The first act was well written, well designed, well directed, well acted, very enjoyable, and the time flew by.  It was a 'day in the life of' type of play, with a serious issue underlying the slice of life.  The issue of immigration, mostly illegal.  I didn't expect a play to solve the issue, but I would have liked to see 'next steps' after what happened in the final couple of minutes.

I think this would make a really good movie and would like to see it opened up more in that area.  In the meantime, I would whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone wanting to see a good play, especially in this threadbare start of the season.