Director Whitney White and playwright Jocelyn Bioh have made their Broadway debuts with the popular show 'Jaja's African Hair Braiding.'
Recently, both women have learned they were nominated for the Tony Awards for Best Play and Directing. White responded, "You can trust Black women. You can bank on Black stories."
The show will have a tour after its New York run. It has five Tony nominations, which are notable for several reasons.
White is the fifth Black woman to have ever been nominated for Best Direction of a Play, while Bioh is the seventh Black woman to have received a Tony Award nomination for Best Play.
'Jaja's African Hair Braiding' has an almost entirely female cast and all Black.
On Apr. 30, White shared her initial thoughts with Playbill after she learned she had been nominated for the Tony Awards.
"Oh, it means so much, not just to me but to my entire family. It was an honor to work on this story. It is about Black women, and it's about immigrants. It's about the many kinds of people that really contribute to the society we live in," she said.
She claimed that seeing the work recognized has been incredibly humbling and encouraging. She noted that it never happens on Broadway that stories get to premiere cold like that, and having it all seen means a lot.
The director was asked how she feels about bringing new audiences to Broadway.
White admitted that this was the hurdle they were all facing. She said that they have got to keep not just Broadway alive but the arts alive.
She claimed that the show has brought in more first-time attendees to the theatre in its history. She explained that the new show was about immigrant women.
Furthermore, she proudly shared that the show made everyone laugh and cry.
White did not provide details about Jaja's comeback to New York. However, she teased that they have some exciting updates very soon.
