Veralynn Jackson knows hair, her neighborhood, and she also knows that the invention of the Jheri Curl marks the end of the world... or at least a career shift. When she takes a job in Mr. Kim’s Korean-owned Black beauty supply store, she’s in her element, until the posters start talking to her. For Mr. Kim, closed off by what he’s left behind to be in the U.S., the last thing he wants is this nosy new employee prodding him to expose old wounds. Their eventual friendship opens a door for each of them to reclaim their lost art.
“That these two characters find and clear some ground together, despite the assumptions imposed on them from outside, is the kind of miracle you can’t put in a bottle.”—Rob Weinert-Kendt, American Theatre Magazine
“Magical realism, race relations, and a heartfelt story all in one, THE GREAT JHERI CURL DEBATE by Inda Craig-Galván packs an emotional punch, while still leaving room for plenty of quirkiness and wit.”
—Julia Stier, Stage Raw