Auditions
Auditions for Jaja's African Hair Braiding announced for July 18, 20 & 21
(Sat. Mon. & Tues., respectively)
At the Rapides Foundation Building
Note: Actors are welcome to attend any or all three audition sessions. Attending multiple sessions is not required unless specifically requested by the director.
You will not need a monologue. Auditions will consist of readings from the script. Get a feel for the script by clicking on the button to download the scenes that will be used for auditions.
CHARACTERS (descriptions provided by Dramatists Play Service)
All characters are of Black American and/or West African descent and are to be played by Black actors.
JAJA, 40s+. Senegalese; owner of the shop. The backbone and/or saving grace of everyone in the shop. Getting married today in city hall to Steven-the landlord of a local building.
MARIE, 18. Jajas daughter who runs the shop for her mother; has a lot of weight on her young shoulders because of her circumstances. Secretly wants to be a writer; has a fun and silly side, but is firm and assertive when needed-especially with the women in the shop.
BEA (pronounced "Bee"), 40s. Ghanaian; has been at the shop the longest; the neighborhood gossip with an unpredictable attitude she seems addicted to causing drama, but is rarely ever wrong.
MIRIAM, early to mid-20s. Sierra Leonean; very kind and seemingly quiet on the surface, but has a fierce spirit underneath her shell; loves the idea of love and is the epitome of an optimist.
AMINATA, 30s. Senegalese; fun, sexy, and charming. She loves her job and is good at it, but also loves to hang out at the shop as well. The shop is both her job and her favorite place to be social. Has a tumultuous and passionate marriage; Beas sidekick in gossip and drama when necessary.
NDIDI (pronounced "IN-Dee-Dee"), late 20s/early 30s. Nigerian; the young spitfire; she dresses the youngest and braids the fastest. Everyone at the shop knows that she makes the most money and that doesn't always go over well with everyone-namely Bea.
JENNIFER, 20s. Black American; aspiring journalist; comes to the
shop wanting to get micro braids and is in the shop all day; incredibly
patient and caring.
VANESSA, 30s. Super rude customer that no one wants to deal with.
Also plays:
SHEILA, 30s. The friendly but loud-talking businesswoman. She enjoys a little gossip like the next person.
RADIA (pronounced like "Nadia"), 18ish. One of Marie's former classmates.
MICHELLE, 20s. The nervous client who doesn't want trouble and just wants to get her hair done peacefully.
Also plays:
CHRISSY, 30s. Really wants braids that will "make her look like Beyonce:'
LANIECE, 20s. A regular at the shop; works as a DJ so she always gets funky braid styles. She likes to have a good time and loves a good meal.
JAMES, 30s. Ghanaian; Aminata's on-again, off-again husband who clearly takes advantage of her.
Also plays:
FRANKLIN, THE SOCK MAN, 30s. Black American; quick-talking and friendly neighborhood salesman just trying to make a living.
OLU, THE JEWELRY MAN, 30s. Nigerian; a shy, honest man just trying to make a living; has a bit of a crush on Ndidi.
ERIC, THE DVD MAN, 30s. Senegalese; the caring DVD man who looks out for his friends.
PLAYWRIGHT'S NOTE
For most of my life, truly since I was four years old, I have been
wearing my hair in braids. I have had braids for so long, I can
actually name the three times in my life when I did NOT have
braids or some type of extensions for a significant amount of time.
So I have spent a very large portion of my life in hair braiding shops
and can tell you all about them. The stuffy ones that have way too
many braiders in too small of a room. The shop that only has one
hair braider because she likes her peace of mind. The shop that is
located behind another place of business ( a barber shop, a bodega,
a pharmacy, a fish market, I've seen it all). I've gone to 125th Street
and taken my chance with the kind hair braiding lady standing on
the corner, flagging down any customer she could find; always with
the standard sales pitch: "Hair braiding miss?" I'm always arrested
by the relief on their faces when someone responds, "Yes, I'd like to
get my hair braided:' I imagine that at least for the next few hours,
their dignity is restored. This play is for each and every person who
enters the shop. Their hopes. Their dreams. Their incredible stories
of how and why they came to this country. I celebrate these amazing
women and thank them for what they do. To many people, they are
just "hair braiding ladies;' random women people pass by on the
street, but to me, they are heroes, craftswomen, and artists with
beautiful, gifted, and skilled hands.