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Theatre Hopping:
'Da Kink In My Hair...
'DA KINK IN MY HAIR
Venue: The Princess of Wales Theatre, 300 King St. West
Performances: TBA
Trey's Words: "It's written by me, a black woman, but I have people relating to it on all levels. I've had old little white Jewish women come up to me and say, 'I so loved your play, and related to the characters!'"
I felt very honoured and privileged to have seen the play, 'Da Kink In My Hair. I saw it about a month ago, and I am seriously thinking about seeing it again before its run ends on April 24th.
'Da Kink In My Hair is a play set in a West Indian hair salon and it is narrated by Novelette - the wickedly funny, rude and brutally honest salon owner (portrayed by the absolutely fantastic Trey Anthony). There are a series of vignettes where average, everyday women are given a platform to share their trials, tribulations and deep dark secrets.
Their stories uncover subjects on incest, love and sadness. Using the hair salon as a backdrop was a stoke of genius, because it is in a salon that you feel free to tell your hairdresser everything going on in your life - the ups, as well as the downs.
I thoroughly enjoyed the play. It was the first play that I saw that featured an all black female cast. However, it was the content that won me over. All of the stories struck a chord with me, as I was able to sympathize with the characters. I know many women who have gone through a few of the struggles that were mentioned in the play, and watching their stories unfold on stage was empowering. d'bi. young's portrayal of an abused child was by far the most gut wrenching.
I also appreciated how truly West Indian the play was. I enjoyed hearing the authentic patois (one of my pet peeves is hearing a really bad Jamaican accent) and listening to people who reminded me of friends and the people in my family.
On a comedic level, I loved how this play captured the essence of the goings on in most black salons. The gossip, the jokes, the hours of waiting to get your hair done. They are without a doubt an essential element to any black salon. One of my favourite scenes was when one of the characters spoke about the outrageous but essential tricks you need to know to keep the cornrow hairstyle looking good. I too know the pain and the pleasure of rocking this hairstyle.
Overall, this play is definitely a must see for EVERY woman. The content is identifiable to women of all colours. I went with my sister and a few girlfriends and we laughed, we cried, but most of all, we enjoyed ourselves. Trust me, 'Da Kink is 'da bomb. See it! ¤ Michelle