“Never be scared to stand in your own truth”
by: Kika Otiono, Youth Editor
Friday, October 21, 2016, National Arts Centre, Ottawa
As I travelled back home from seeing ‘da Kink in My Hair, all I could think about were highlights of the musical. I was humming the melodies as I ate dinner, and I felt myself replaying the scenes on my bed before going to sleep. The musical made me feel proud to a Black woman, but it also left a pain in my chest.
Written by Trey Anthony, ‘da Kink in My Hair had me splitting in laughter, gasping in awe, and wiping away tears. At the centre of the show is Novelette (played by Trey Anthony), the Canadian-Caribbean owner of Letty’s Hair Salon—the setting for the entire show. In the first scene the audience was greeted by a cleverly constructed set, with familiar salon chairs, dryers and vibrant walls decorated with mirrors. When Novelette emerged on-stage and began speaking with a melodious Caribbean accent, I felt electricity in my bones. With a cast of almost exclusively Black women, ‘da Kink in My Hair is unafraid to broach such difficult subjects as police brutality, racism, abuse, and sexuality. While the audience learns little of Novelette’s personal life, her role is the centrepiece to the musical. She is a listening ear to her clients, and provides no judgement for their struggles, fears, and triumphs. Novelette simply places her hands on the women’s heads and ‘unmasks’ each client to the audience, allowing them to tell their story.
In seven monologues, the characters detail their inner turmoil, with jazz, blues and gospel music serving as the heartbeat. Each monologue is spellbinding and awe-inspiring. Anthony cleverly weaves comedy at the right moments, and other times the heart-wrenching tales leave you breathless. For example, Sherelle is a troubled businesswoman (portrayed exceptionally by Lennette Randall) who feels herself vanishing as she explores white spaces. Gifted with an excellent education, Sherelle feels empty in a world of white male power and immense responsibilities. Conversely, the elderly Miss Enid (Brenda Phillips) exercises control of her sexuality as she happily pursues her neighbour. While Sherelle’s story left the audience quiet and pensive, Miss Enid’s vibrant musical numbers sparked laughter throughout the room.
Perhaps the most poignant monologue was by Virgilia Griffith in the role of Stacy-Anne. A young Jamaican immigrant, Stacey-Anne describes the excitement of her move to Canada and her adventures with her little sister. The tone quickly changes when she reveals that she is being sexually abused by her stepfather, Mr. Brown. As she describes her abuse, female spirits dance around Stacey-Anne and strip her of her winter clothes—a symbol of Stacey-Anne’s liberation from her stepfather’s advances. The musical number reaches its climax when Stacey-Anne screams at Mr. Brown to fear for his life if he ever touches her again.
Griffith was mesmerizing in her role, and displayed the most charming aspect of the show: its ability to celebrate and explore black womanhood through anecdotes. However, even with the broad range of emotions that the stories capture, I yearned to learn more about Novelette, and to have a resolution to what seemed to be a non-existent plot. What happened to the characters after they told their stories? Do their lives ever intersect? Sherelle is so recognizable to me—a successful black woman with fear and hopelessness clouding her consciousness. As a black woman, I found every monologue powerful because I could see my friends and relatives in them. I wanted to know more about the characters, and how they grapple with the conflicts in their lives. But perhaps, that is the point of the musical—an unapologetic representation of what black femininity means, and the healing power of revealing one’s deepest battles. I left the show with Novelette’s final words echoing in my mind: “Never be scared to stand in your own truth.”
Photo credit: National Arts Centre
About the writer
Kika Otiono is a 1st year Humanities and Biology student at Carleton University. She finds peace in the presence of words, literature, and artistic expression. She is an avid reader and a lover of rock bands, Broadway musicals and sci-fi movies. Kika is the Youth Editor of Black Ottawa Scene, as well as the curator of the ‘When Will I Be Free?’ collection—a short anthology of youth perspectives regarding racism and police brutality. Kika aims to use her writing as a means of reconciling her emotions regarding racial and gender inequality. She hopes to become a paediatric neurosurgeon and published author. She can be reached at: [email protected] .