When Victoire Charles first read Jaja’s African Hair Braiding by Jocelyn Bioh, it became the second play she had ever read in which she immediately knew she wanted to be involved. The first play which elicited the same response was Ruined by Lynn Nottage, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2009 and included Charles in the understudy company of its Off-Broadway premiere at Manhattan Theatre Club. “You close the last page (of Ruined) and the breath is just sucked out of you,” Charles surmises. When she was offered an understudy track in the Broadway production of Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, she reflects that accepting the position was “one of the best decisions (she) ever made”. Now taking on the titular role in a production which is appearing at the Mark Taper Forum as well as Arena Stage, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and La Jolla Playhouse, Charles reflects on the lasting pertinence of Bioh’s play.
“In New York City,” she explains, “there are not many people who don’t know what an African hair braiding place is— people recognize those places. So there are many levels of connectivity, even for people who have never been inside of one.” As a New Yorker raised by Haitian immigrant parents, Charles was intimately familiar with characters and settings like those presented in the play. However, it is a rare occurrence, in her experience, to see these characters centered on stage. “In terms of West African immigrants, they are not always being discussed. When we talk about immigration, it is almost always about the border.” She reasons, “these are people we’ve never seen on stage, so it’s a real bonus for people who have been behind the scenes before and been to an African hair braiding place.”
Charles describes Jaja’s as a “very, very juicy slice of life. We aren’t allowed to caricature any of these characters. We’re not allowed to laugh at them. But I have never been a part of a play that enraptures an audience in such a way.” She continues, “People aren’t used to a play like this. Its language and the mission it proposes is a call to action, and I think people aren’t used to that.”
Having moved to Los Angeles back in 2011, Charles is excited to be back. She assures me that she has a deep love for both NYC and LA; “People always wanna know which city is better, but I say, they are sister and brother. They are akin.” What is she looking forward to while performing at the Mark Taper Forum? “Smoothies, delicious salads, a good hike, and Porto’s of course!”
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