Manhattan Theatre Club is presenting a new Broadway production entitled “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” penned by Jocelyn Bioh at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Ms. Bioh has set her dramedy inside a hair braiding shop located in Harlem, during one entire day, and has filled the establishment with an array of colorful and outlandish employees and clientele. The occasional street vendor stops by to hawk his merchandise such as socks and perfume, as well as one of the employees’ unsavory boyfriends, who of course needs to borrow money. This slice of life comedy offers the audience a glimpse of “over the top” characters we would not usually see on stage and some insight into a distinct culture. The comedy and situations are fast paced and executed with skill and perfect timing to provide the utmost humor, except for the last ten minutes of the production. This is when Ms. Bioh drops a tragic bomb on the festivities, and although foreshadowed, it is the first time exposing the central theme of the play. The final scene is rushed and does not even come close to resolving any issues or tying up loose ends.

The day begins with Marie (a calm and reasonable Dominique Thorne) and Miriam (a sincere Brittany Adebumola) who is the fastest braider in the shop, working to bring her daughter here from Sierra Leone. Marie is opening and running the shop today because her mother Jaja (a bold Somi Kakoma) is getting married to a white man she has been dating for years, hopefully to solidify her immigration status. The flamboyant, loud, and feisty, longtime employee Bea (a rambunctious Zenzi Williams) is controlling and forbids anyone to steal her clients from her. This does not bode well for fellow worker Ndidi, from Nigeria, who sways a couple of clients away from Bea, who show up for their appointments thinking it is Bea’s day off. A walk-in client wants long micro braids and after Bea grabs her for consultation quickly passes her off to Miriam because of the tedious, day long project. The day is filled with conflict, confrontations and humor, but not much is revealed about the characters, and Jaja does not make an entrance until ten minutes before the show ends. Of course, the spoiler is that Jaja gets picked up by ICE agents as she is about to get married at city hall. The theme is of course relevant and an important issue, but it is just introduced near the end of the play, and never discussed at length, leaving the fear and anguish of each immigrant employee unknown. The afterthought is that all the employees are in the same situation, with a possibility of deportation, but are hardworking people trying to realize their dream, as well as being an integral part of the cultural fabric of the city.

The star that shines brightest in this production is the hair and wig design by Nikiya Mathis. They are plentiful and each different wig is exquisite, with the long micro braided wigs used in the day long process at different stages is remarkable. Director Whitney White has moved the day along at a very quick pace, coaxing every hint of humor out of the witty script and colorful characters. Scenic design by David Zinn captures every aspect of a working hair braiding shop and the colorful interior reflects the culture and urban location. Costumes by Dede Ayite are a perfect reflection of each character’s personality. Ms. Bioh gives us a lot to chew on during the last ten minutes of the show, with a sudden dramatic introduction that is even more shocking after over an hour of non-stop comedy. Unfortunately, you leave a bit unsatisfied, wanting a little more to make the meal complete, and some dessert would also be nice. “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” is enjoyable enough, and has enough color, but needs a bit more depth, substance and style to become a knockout.