The Braiding Circle is a play about a young girl named MAIA, who learns the importance of wearing her hair natural. She connects her natural hair with her natural beauty and she finds a powerful tool for building her self esteem.

SYNOPSIS:

The Braiding Circle One Page

MAIA, a beautiful dark skinned girl with kinky hair and KEYSHIA, a pretty light skinned girl with straight pressed hair compare the back of their heads, their “kitchens”, for hair texture. Keyshia says Maia you’re before and I’m after. BUTCHIE, the object of both girls’ affection, laughs. Maia says my Nana says I look like a Barbie doll dipped in chocolate. Butchie says if Black Barbie got caught out in the rain. Everyone laughs except Maia. She runs away, inconsolable.

She runs to NANA, her wise grandmother (who has a touch of Alzheimer’s that shows up at the worst possible moment), she begs her to let her have her straightened.

Nana tells her the story of IMANI, a young African girl with extremely long kinky hair, who uses her hair to save her brother and father when the slavers try to take them away. The song “Oh Happy Day” plays as the wind helps her weave a magical braid that holds the slave ship in the bay until her father, brother and all the other villagers can slide down her magical braid to safety.

When Nana finishes the story she realizes that Maia has fallen asleep, she’s having a DREAM about her and Nana walking down a dark street when they run into…

PRESTAN CURL, an outrageous, supernatural character with shoulder length straightened hair and a pressing comb attached to his hat. He agrees with Maia that her hair should be pressed. Nana tells her the story of how her foster mother would get on the phone while she was running that hot comb through her head and she’d burn her ear every time. Maia decides she doesn’t want her hair pressed after all.

Nana defeats Prestan. Maia decides she’d really like to have a relaxer while Nana gets a weave. Nana says I’m taking you to…

The Braiding Circle – “It’s good to be a little kinky.”

THE HEADMISTRESS introduces herself. She explains that The Braiding Circle is a ceremony to celebrate the spirit of the head. There are six stylists, three braiders – beginner, intermediate and master. And three dreadlock technicians hereafter referred to as “lockers” who are also, Beginner, intermediate and master stylists. They take their places behind six white chairs on a raised stage outside in a park or inside at a community center. The six stylists welcome their clients, all six of them take their seats.

Photos appear, graphically, that show the hairstyles they are about to do. Then the Headmistress informs the beautiful audience, many dressed in tribal regalia, that during each of the three circles there will be one poet who performs, then a singer then finally a storyteller with the Headmistress introducing each performer. After the storyteller, The Headmistress leads us back to find out what’s going on with Nana and Maia.

BACK TO NANA AND MAIA

Nana and Maia are approached by WEAVONYA PLATTS, Prestan’s fiancée and RELAXINE, Prestan’s twin sister. In fact, it’s Prestan that has sicked the girls on them.

They find themselves in a rap battle against them. Nana and Maia are the KNOTTY GIRLS and Weavonia and Relaxine are BONE SNATCHED. If the Knotty Girls win Maia’s hair stays natural if the other team wins Maia gets a relaxer. Prestan Curl is the Master of Ceremonies. Weavonia tells Nana having a weave will take ten years off of her age. Nana tells her that every time she gets her hair braided it’s an instant facelift.

All in all, Nana gives nine different reasons why Maia should “stay wavy” and they are SCALP IRRITATIONS AND BURNS, SPLIT ENDS, DRY BRITTLE HAIR, SCALP INFECTION, RESPIRATORY/BREATHING GASTROINTESTINAL/STOMACH, FRIZZY HAIR, HAIR THINNING, HAIR BREAKAGE AND PERMANENT HAIR LOSS and by the time the rap battle is over Maia no longer wants to get a relaxer.

She wants to go to The Braiding Circle. Maia sings a song, she’s got an incredible voice. This is a pivotal, emotional moment. Maia and Nana are victorious. But while Maia is raising her hand in victory Nana has slipped into an Alzheimer’s episode. She’s wandering aimlessly through traffic.

But this is just a dream so Maia wakes up. But Nana is really wandering aimlessly through traffic. Maia runs to save her meanwhile…

BACK TO THE BRAIDING CIRCLE

The Headmistress says she hopes Maia can save Nana before it’s too late. Then she advises us that three new clients have been added to the circle as well as three more braiders. Expanding the circle with an Asian, Latina, and Native American clients takes the circle to international status. Again, there’s a poet, than a singer and then a storyteller. Then the Headmistress wonders how Maia is faring with Nana.

BACK TO NANA AND MAIA

Maia charges out into traffic as Nana’s having horns honked at her. Maia’s almost hit as she finally gets to Nana. She coaxes her off the street but Nana’s keeps muttering about not wanting to get her hair pressed. Maia says well Nana why don’t we go to The Braiding Circle. Nana’s too far gone to understand what she’s saying to her. In a moment of desperation Maia calls Nana’s phone. The ringtone is “Oh Happy Day”.

Nana gives a flicker of recognition. Maia begins to sing “Oh Happy Day” and Nana begins to remember. She follows Maia into the circle now fully in charge of her faculties.

NANA AND MAIA ENTER THE BRAIDING CIRCLE

The Headmistress welcomes them into the circle. Where Weavonya and Relaxine are already seated they’ve decided to go natural as well. We see symbolic chains fall away as their heads are braided. Maia and Nana take their seats as they listen to the poet, then the singer and finally the storyteller. The circle is complete. Everyone’s hair is done and they all stand and exit the circle. Butchie approaches Maia. He hands her a rose and tells her that her natural hair is beautiful. Keyshia approaches trying to get Butchie’s attention. It begins to sprinkle and Keyshia has to run to save her pressed hair. Maia and Butchie just stand there in the light rain, smiling and holding hands.

THE END

THE BRAIDING CIRCLE

Library of Congress 1-6684348511

THE BRAIDING CIRCLE

“It’s good to be a little kinky”

DOWNSTAGE LEFT -

THE STORE is K.W. GOLDBERG’S CUSTOM KITCHENS. THE BILLBOARD above the store reads “KEEP YOUR KITCHEN STRAIGHT”. The picture is a black woman smiling with relaxed hair. “GET YOUR KITCHEN REMODELED”.

It shows a BEFORE and AFTER photo, the difference is obvious.

Two girls and one boy look on. One is KEYSHIA, a sarcastic, pretty but vain girl of 10. Her pressed hair lays in a ponytail above her “kitchen” with ample lazy curls that frame her face just so.

MAIA, a beautiful dark skinned 9 year old girl with a sassy demeanor and a head full of kinky hair. Yes,definitely nappy.

BUTCHIE, the object of both girls’ affection, looks on.

KEYSHIA

Look it’s before and after ... just like us...

(points at Maia)

Before...

(on her hair)

And after.

Butchie laughs.

MAIA

My Nana says I look like a Barbie doll dipped in chocolate.

BUTCHIE

If she got caught in the rain.

Butchie and Keyshia guffaw. Maia’s anguish shows on her face.

LIGHTS DROP DOWNSTAGE LEFT

LIGHTS RAISE UPSTAGE LEFT

MAIA’S HOUSE

NANA,72 years old, fiercely protective and a very opinionated matriarch. She’s out of sorts.

She wanders aimlessly around her kitchen while the oven beeps. She’s having an Alzheimer’s episode and she’s helplessly lost. She looks into a

FULL LENGTH MIRROR

She catches her reflection, sheer panic lights her eyes as she notices a sign on her cassette recorder. It says Push me for a Happy Day. She does. “OH HAPPY DAY” by THE EDWIN HAWKINS SINGERS fills the room.

Nana regains her faculties, opens the stove and saves her roast in the nick of time.

FULL LENGTH MIRROR -

She smiles. She beat it again. She kisses her UNIQUE CROSS then looks up towards the heavens. She smiles. OUT OF THE WINDOW she sees Maia run at full speed into the front door. She’s inconsolable.

MAIA

Nana! Nana!

NARRATOR

(V.O.)

Maia’s got a very important question for her grandmother, Nana. But the answer she’s going to get is going to blow her mind. Or should I say curl her hair. Because that’s what this is about Maia and the way she feels about her tightly curled hair...

LIVING ROOM -

Nana welcomes her grand daughter with open loving arms.

NARRATOR

She holds onto Maia for dear life. But she’s suffering from a touch of Alzheimer’s. It afflicts her at the worst moments. Maia doesn’t really understand but she knows her Nana loves her and she loves Jesus. And that’s all she needs to know... besides her burning question.

MAIA

Nana? Do we have a roast?

NANA

And you know this. Now what’s got you so riled up?

MAIA

I can’t stand Butchie.

NANA

You ask me he was trying to sit a little to close to you last Sunday at church.

MAIA

Why do I have to have this bad hair?

NANA

What ‘colonized negro’ said it was bad?

MAIA

Keyshia... and

(Beat)

Butchie.

NANA

I should’ve known. He’s an opioid crisis waiting to happen.

MAIA

Why can’t I have a relaxer? Or get my hair pressed. Other girls do it.

Nana’s phone rings. The ring tone is “OH HAPPY DAY” by THE EDWIN HAWKINS SINGERS. She checks it. She lets it ring.

NANA

Oh that’s just the Head Mistress from The Braiding Circle. I’ll call her back.

(Beat)

Press your hair? Don’t make no sense when it’s so pretty. Let me tell you a story about a little girl with long kinky hair. The story of the magical braid.

Maia lays her head in her lap. “OH HAPPY DAY” continues to play.

NANA (CONT’D)

It was the 1800s. And IMANI, a little African girl with hair so long it was able to carry her jungle friends dragging more than 80 feet behind her. Her mother sent her to find her father and her brother Adeyemi. Suddenly, she heard a scuffle in the bushes and she smelled the scent of wet chicken. She looked through the bush and saw her father and brother and others from her village in nets being dragged onto a ship. Now though her hair was long she feared it wasn’t strong enough to do what she intended to do. So she grabbed a hold to the Great Shea Tree and she swung her hair around until the wind braided her hair together in a magical braid. She tossed her hair out into the water and it wrapped around the mast of the ship, holding the slave ship in the bay. The slaves revolted and broke free from the Slavers. Then they all slid down her braid to safety. They were all overcome with joy.

Nana looks at Maia. She has fallen asleep in her lap.

NANA (CONT’D)

And that’s why you’ve got to be glad for this beautiful hair that you have.

She strokes her hair.

NANA (CONT’D)

Pleasant dreams.

UPSTAGE LEFT GOES DARK

LIGHTS RAISE DOWNSTAGE LEFT

SIGN: THE DREAM

A smoky street corner. A shadowy figure with a hat that boasts a pressing comb slides into a shadow beside a GARBAGE CAN. A moment later Nana leads Maia by the hand past that shadow.

MAIA

Nana where are we going?

The shadow knocks over a garbage can lid.

NANA

(Looks around corner)

Did you hear that?

The shadow extends a hand with a white hot index finger reaches out for Maia’s hair but burns her ear accidentally.

MAIA

Aaah!

NANA

What happened?

The shadow takes form then jumps in front of them. It’s PRESTAN CURL, an outrageous, sharp tongued caricature with shoulder length hair, completely straightened.

PRESTAN CURL

I’m Prestan Curl with a white hot touch. I ain’t mean to hurt your nappy head so much. It was a mistake. Stop being a baby. Beauty is pain.

NANA

(In his face.)

Not natural beauty.

PRESTAN CURL

Whatever. Ain’t no child s’posed to go around Dreamland looking like that Miss Thang. What you doing Nana?

(Snatches her hair)

You know this girl’s needs her nappy hair pressed. And uh...

Nana shoves Prestan out of the way then pulls Maia behind her.

NANA

No she doesn’t. That’s just your old colonized mind. That’s so tired.

Maia steps out from behind Nana. Prestan Curl reaches into the back of her head and pulls a hair out of her head.

MAIA

Ouch!

Nana karate chops him.

PRESTAN CURL

Ouch!

NANA

You don’t want none of this.

MAIA

Why’d you do that?

PRESTAN CURL

Nana said I was tired. So I decided to take a nap in your kitchen.

MAIA

(Near tears.)

I want my hair pressed.

NANA

You know when I was little Ms. Zenobia used to press my hair.

LIGHTS DIM DOWNSTAGE LEFT

LIGHTS RAISE UPSTAGE LEFT

KITCHEN -

CARD: 1952

ZENOBIA,a cruel woman with a lazy eye. Little Nana, evidenced by the UNIQUE CROSS she wears, she sits in her chair nervously...

STOVE -

while the hot comb sizzles on the fire.

NANA

(V.O.)

I was always nervous when she’d press my hair for church. My foster mother. She couldn’t half see with that lazy eye. One eye looking at you and the other eye trying to find you. I never knew when that ring was coming. Which would lead to all that pain.

The phone rings. She answers. She takes some grease off the back of her hand and coats her hair. Little Nana begins to cry.

ZENOBIA

Yeah girl. This girl’s hair is bad enough to shoot up a Klan rally.

She begins to press Nana’s hair. She sizzles her ear. Nana turns to the camera.

NANA

(In grown voice.)

That shit hurt!

She lets out a blood curdling scream.

NANA (CONT’D)

Aaaah!

Zenobia’s startled, she drops the hot comb down her back. WE HEAR her flesh sizzle.

ZENOBIA

Look what you made me do. Oh it wasn’t that bad. Just hold still...

Nana jumps up dancing and screaming.

NANA

Oh Lord. Help me!

LIGHTS DROP UPSTAGE LEFT

LIGHTS RAISE DOWNSTAGE LEFT

STREET CORNER -

PRESTAN CURL

You got to do something with this mess!

Prestan Curl takes some hot grease from the back of his hand and throws it on Maia’s hair. She screams.

MAIA

Aaah!

NANA

Get away from her.

Nana takes the WHOOPING CRANE fighting stance. She drop kicks Prestan. He falls into the wall and is knocked unconscious. She smacks her hands together to say “I’m done.”

LIGHTS DROP DOWNSTAGE LEFT

LIGHTS RAISE UPSTAGE LEFT

BACKYARD PARTY

CARD: THE 70s.

A 20 something year old Nana learns dap from a GUY WITH A PICK IN THE BACK OF HIS HEAD she obviously likes. She almost gets the hand salutation but she doesn’t. They laugh a little too hard, then stare...

NANA

(V.O.)

Umgawa. Black power.

Nana french braids the boy’s hair.

NANA (CONT’D)

(V.O.)

Now back in the 70s. That’s when I learned my black hair was beautiful. Natural hair was everywhere. It was everything. That’s when I embraced my blessed tresses. Wasn’t those the good old days.

Afros and braids dance to the music. The song, “WASN’T THEM THOSE GOOD OLD DAYS” by DAVID STAMPS,plays.

WE SEE girls with exotic french braids and men wearing cornrows. WE SEE Nana doing “The Bump” with THE GUY WITH THE PICK. Nana braids his hair. She whispers something in his ear.

NANA (CONT’D)

Your grand daddy liked me a little kinky.

He falls on his face laughing. He opens his eyes.

LIGHTS DROP UPSTAGE LEFT

LIGHTS RAISE DOWNSTAGE LEFT

STREET CORNER -

Prestan Curl’s opening his eyes as Nana looks at Maia.

MAIA

Your ear got burned every time?

NANA

Every time.

MAIA

I changed my mind. I don’t want to get my hair pressed.

Nana kicks him in the gut.

NANA

Did you hear that? My baby doesn’t want her hair pressed!

She sticks her chest out.

MAIA

Nana you can just get a weave and I can get a relaxer. Butchie’s going to be fit to be tied.

NANA

But what about you? He wouldn’t give you what you needed when you needed it. What do we say about people who don’t give us what we need?

MAIA

We don’t need them.

NANA

And what is the truest form of beauty.

MAIA

Natural beauty.

NANA

Now that’s more like it.

Nana just shakes her head and takes her hand.

MAIA

Where are we going?

A SIGN LIGHTS UPSTAGE RIGHT

“The Braiding Circle” appears.

NANA

I’m taking you to The Braiding Circle.

Nana, Maia, and Prestan Curl freeze.

LIGHTS DROP DOWNSTAGE LEFT

THE BRAIDING CIRCLE

SIX THRONE - LIKE CHAIRS sit.

THE HEAD MISTRESS, The Master of Ceremonies for The Braiding Circle, lights a candle sitting at the mouth of the circle,

THE HEAD MISTRESS

To symbolize the only fire that will ever come close to your head again. It’s not to put to the head. It burns inside and we will not let that fire die. We use this fire to light the way into this sacred space. The sacred space that is “The Braiding Circle”.

Then she enters.

THE HEAD MISTRESS (CONT’D)

Good evening. I’m the HEAD MISTRESS. My name is unimportant my mission is of the greatest magnitude. I am here to persuade you to stop using chemicals in your beautiful hair. I’m asking you to wear it the way God intended, naturally. I’m here to invite you into The Braiding Circle. Shall we...

DURING THE FOLLOWING six MINISTERS TO THE SPIRIT OF THE HEAD AKA STYLISTS enter the circle and stand behind their respective chairs: A beginner, intermediate and master braider.

As well as a beginner, intermediate and master dreadlocks technician hereafter referred to as LOCKERS.

THE HEAD MISTRESS (CONT’D)

As each of the six braiders and lockers also know as the Ministers to the Spirit of the Head, enters the circle they acknowledge the fire, then take their rightful place inside the circle behind their chairs. Yes.

One by one, they wait as their clients enter the circle. Each of the clients wears their hair natural and flowing, all are dressed in white.

THE HEADMISTRESS

Now each minister to the spirit of the head will show you the hairstyle they intend to demonstrate.

Each STYLIST holds up a PHOTO of the hairstyle they are about to create.

THE HEADMISTRESS (CONT’D)

Braiders and Lockers begin.

The braiders/lockers commence their hairstyles.

THE HEADMISTRESS (CONT’D)

Now comes another special part of The Braiding Circle. While the hair is being done we will have a poet, then a singer then a storyteller to perform within each circle... and there will be three all total. So now without further adieu ... DAVID STAMPS - the poet performing “THE NIGHT MARE”.

The HEAD MISTRESS exits and DAVID STAMPS enters. He does his piece.

DAVID STAMPS

The Night Mare. Not too many people know,

But not so very long ago,

There was no dawn or dusky evening light,

There were only twelve hours of stark bright day,

And twelve hours of night in exactly the same way,

And the sun and the moon were always in visible sight,

Now to the divine task of guiding these spheres,

The universe had chosen two unicorn mares,

And on their horns rested respectively the sun and the moon,

Day Unicorn Mare was brown and she carried the sun,

And her coat was a sun drenched honey one,

The sun had sauteed her coat until she caused the steeds to swoon,

Night Unicorn Mare was white as the palest light,

She was admired even in the dead of night,

There were evenings when her coat paled even the moon,

The unicorns were poetry in their syncopated stride,

Never synchronizing their steps but never losing time,

They who carried day and night and carried it so gracefully,

They would cross at noon and then again at midnight,

Pausing to make a slight left or right,

And the entire world would stop just to see,

This went on for almost an eon until one day,

Night Unicorn Mare stopped to graze,

As she did at the same spot beneath the horizon,

She was a rather vain equestrian daughter,

Always admiring herself in the water,

But something in her reflection gave her mystical horn a turn,

Just to the left of her bluish gray eyes,

She saw something that made her blood pressure rise,

Her lovely pale coat had a splotch of sunburn,

She wondered, "Well how in the world could that be?"

As she sputtered her nose and fluttered her wings,

She peered into the sea to see,

It must have been that damn Day Unicorn Mare,

She has always coveted my alabaster hair,

And I will not be a victim of her cruel jealousy,

She picked up the moon and headed back towards the sky,

So filled with anger she could barely fly,

For this insult Day Unicorn Mare would surely pay,

Isn't it something how even divinity is given to the frailties of humanity,

Furthermore do you see the insanity of vanity?

And how it can just fuck up your entire day,

But as the townsfolk gathered to watch her fly,

Her anger slowly began to subside,

Until she had all but forgotten the idea of a skirmish,

But then she passed over Brooklyn headed for the homestretch,

As she passed over Ralph Ave. she happened to catch,

As an old Rastafarian yelled, "Lordy will you look at that big old blemish,"

As Day Unicorn Mare loped into sight,

She saw the conviction in her sister unicorn's stride,

But before Day Unicorn Mare knew what had been done,

She learned firsthand the force of malice,

Night Unicorn Mare caused her to lose her balance,

And that's when Day Unicorn Mare dropped the sun,

At the moment her horn snapped from her head,

All knowledge of her divine purpose was dead,

Deciding she could no longer fly she galloped to the ground,

And because we are all connected,

Night Unicorn Mare's divinity was rejected,

Neither mare would ever again be considered unicorn,

Now Day Mare ferries children into their dreams,

She gives them a ride as they daydream peacefully,

Relinquishing her purpose but still filling her need to share,

I can not speak so highly of the other,

Well she's a horse of another color,

And I think every child has felt the angry hooves of the Night Mare!

THE HEAD MISTRESS

Let’s give one more palm offering for the poet, DAVID STAMPS. And now THE ALLEN A.M.E. CHURCH will perform “BLESSING ME AGAIN”.

ALLEN A.M.E. CHOIR enter.

THE SINGER

See Attachment 1

ALLEN A.M.E. CHOIR finishes then they exit. The HEAD MISTRESS reenters.

THE HEAD MISTRESS

Let’s have one more round of applause for ALLEN A.M.E. CHURCH CHOIR. And now the STORYTELLER, AMA KARI-KARI-YAWSON, will do a poignant tale entitled “SUNNE’S GIFT”.

AMA KARI-KARI-YAWSON enters.

STORYTELLER

Attachment 1a

The STORYTELLER, AMA KARI-KARI-YAWSON exits and THE HEAD MISTRESS reenters the circle.

THE HEAD MISTRESS

Let’s give it up one more time for THE STORYTELLER, AMA KARI-KARI-YAWSON. And now let’s see if Maia and Nana have shaken Prestan Curl for good or is he about to exact some sick form of revenge.