MTC to Present World Premiere of Jocelyn Bioh's JAJA'S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING Fall 2023

The world premiere of Jaja's African Hair Braiding, written by Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Whitney White, will be presented as the first production of Manhattan Theatre Club's 2023-2024 Broadway season at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street). Performances will begin in the fall of 2023.

This dazzling world premiere welcomes you into Jaja's bustling 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. 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).

Performance dates, casting, and creative team information for Jaja's African Hair Braiding will be announced at a later date.

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

TICKETING INFORMATION

Joining MTC's season of plays is easy! Just call the MTC Clubline at 212-399-3050 or go to www.manhattantheatreclub.com. Single ticket information for Jaja's African Hair Braiding will be announced at a later date.

Jocelyn Bioh

(Playwright) is an award-winning Ghanaian-American writer/performer from New York City. Her written works for theatre include: Merry Wives (Public Theater/Shakespeare in the Park, PBS Great Performances), Nollywood Dreams (MCC Theater), Goddess the musical which is currently playing its world premiere at Berkeley Rep, and the multi-award-winning School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play which was originally produced at MCC Theater in 2017/2018 and has gone on to have over 50 regional productions. She is a former TOW playwriting fellow (2017) and has been commissioned by MTC, Atlantic Theater Company, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and Second Stage. Jocelyn has also written for TV on "Russian Doll," Spike Lee's "She's Gotta Have It," the upcoming Hulu series "Tiny Beautiful Things" and is also writing the live screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Once On This Island for Disney+. She was this year's recipient of the Outstanding Adaptation Drama Desk Award.

Whitney White

(Director) is an Obie Award and Lily Award-winning director, writer, and performer. Recent directing includes: Soft (MCC Theater, NYT Critic's Pic), On Sugarland (New York Theatre Workshop, Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk nominations for Outstanding Direction), Semblance (NYTW), The Amen Corner (Shakespeare Theatre Company), Our Dear Dead Drug Lord (WP Theater and Second Stage), What to Send Up When It Goes Down (The Movement Theatre Company, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, A.R.T., The Public Theater). Whitney was previously a staff writer on the upcoming Boots Riley series "I'm a Virgo" for Amazon/Media Res and recently wrote and performed in her original piece Macbeth in Stride at the American Repertory Theater (Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Musical Performance by an Actress). She is a recipient of the Susan Stroman Directing Award, is part of the Rolex Protegé and Mentorship Arts Initiative, is an Associate Director at Shakespeare Theatre Company and an Associate Artist at The Roundabout. MFA Acting: Brown University/Trinity Rep, BA: Northwestern University.