The Trouble With My Hair by Ada Cheng

“Hair is never just hair, it holds our histories, our rebellions, our identities, our desires to belong, and our declarations of independence. This show is about coming home to oneself and learning to love the person underneath it all.” - Ada Cheng

About the Production

The Trouble With My Hair: Coloring, Cutting, and Coming into Who I Am, is an intimate exploration of gender, sexual identity, and boundary-making through Ada’s evolving relationship with her hairstylist and her hair. Blending narrative art and theatrical storytelling, Ada Cheng playfully brings her audience on a journey of self-discovery and self-love through her struggles with hair. From early memories of negotiating belonging to courageous acts of boundary-making in adulthood, Cheng uses her changing hairstyles and haircolors as milestones marking her path toward self-definition. Each cut, color, and conversation becomes a metaphor for reclaiming voice and visibility in a world eager to define her first. This site-responsive Chicago presentation spans five performances across the city, each featuring guest performers and a post-show conversation or response.

Performances (5 total)

Each performance runs approximately 2 hours and includes guest artists and a post-show discussion or response.

• Friday, Aug 21 | 7:30–9:30pm
  Scissor & Fork
  3968 N Elston Ave, Irving Park

• Saturday, Aug 22 | 7:30–9:30pm
  Visceral Adventure Lounge
  3638 W Grand Ave, Humboldt Park

• Sunday, Aug 23 | 7:30–9:30pm
  REM Salon
  3035 W Fullerton Ave, Logan Square

• Saturday, Aug 29 | 7:30–9:30pm
  Haibayô
  1132 W Argyle St, Uptown

• Sunday, Aug 30 | 1:00–3:30pm
  Center on Halsted
  3656 N Halsted St, Northalsted
  Featuring a performance response by Stir Friday Night, followed by a closing reception until 3:30pm. This final performance will not include a post-show talkback.

Guest Artists 

Each performance will feature two guest artists, with a different lineup at every venue. Guest artist announcements coming soon. 

Stir Friday Night

Chicago’s longest-running AAPI comedy team, 31 years and counting. With alumni like Steven Yeun (Walking Dead), Danny Pudi (Community), and Mary Sohn (AP Bio), Stir Friday Night is a pillar of the Chicago comedy scene. MSG included. Follow us @stirfridaynight on all social media and www.stirfridaynight.com

Performers: Shashwat Arya, Esther Oh, Robert Kapaku, Kathleen Hansen, Marie Molina, Joyce Mojica, Becca Nix Tham, Tina Mavalankar, and Jonathan Lee-Rey.

Exclusive Food Sponsor

Krung Thep Thai Cuisine is a proud LGBTQ+ family-owned restaurant. Founded by family members born and raised in Chiang Mai, Thailand, we bring the authentic tastes of our hometown straight to Chicago. Everything we serve is crafted entirely in-house using fresh ingredients and traditional recipes. We are deeply grateful to our vibrant Lakeview community for letting our family cook for yours for more than a decade. Stop by and celebrate flavor, heritage, and community with us!

Community Partner

Building on over 40 years of LGBTQ+ advocacy to create spaces where every identity is celebrated and every community member can thrive. Center on Halsted advances community and secures the health and well-being of the LGBTQ people of Chicagoland and throughout the Midwest.

History of The Trouble With My Hair: Coloring, Cutting, and Coming into Who I Am

The performance is developed with and directed by Jessica Lynn Johnson, an award-winning director and solo show development expert known for shaping compelling, authentic solo works. “Ada is a brilliant and gifted storyteller. Gentle, perfectly paced and warmly welcoming in her sweetly sarcastic way. The writing is magical. Evocative, sensual and human.” -Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros of NoHo Arts District. Ada has performed The Trouble With My Hair nation-wide, including the Asheville Fringe Art Festival, was an official selection of the Soaring Solo Studios Stars Series 2025, and she continues to have more shows throughout the year in and out of the country.

Writer + Performer Bio

Dr. Ada Cheng is an award-winning storyteller, solo performer, and producer. Committed to amplifying and uplifting marginalized voices, she has created numerous storytelling platforms for BIPOC and LGBTQIA community members to tell difficult and vulnerable stories. She has consistently engaged in public education and public outreach through the use of storytelling and performance arts. Since 2016, she has toured her solo performances Not Quite and Loving Across Borders nationwide, presenting at universities, theaters, and conferences. She premiered her third solo performance, The Trouble with My Hair, in Los Angeles in October 2025 as part of Soaring Solo Studios’ Stars Series. She has been a speaker with the Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau since 2019. Dr. Cheng was named the 2023–24 Lund-Gill Endowed Chair at Dominican University and was a recipient of the 2024 Public Humanities Award from Illinois Humanities. 

Discussion Moderator Bio

Kevin Sparrow (they/them) is a Chicago-based playwright, performer, dramaturg, and the Literary Manager for NWAC. They premiered the pop-punk musical Sofa King Queer in 2024 and the self-help satire Cornerstone in 2018. As Literary Manager, Kevin was dramaturg for the productions Down the Moonlit Path and ThroatPunch, and they produced the 2018 and 2019 editions of the New World Play Festival, which showcased 16 new short plays from local and national playwrights.

Policies

Community / Student / Industry Tickets: To help make this performance accessible while ensuring artists are fairly compensated, a limited number of Community / Student / Industry tickets are available for each performance.

Pay What You Can Tickets: Five Pay What You Can tickets will be available at the door for each performance on a first-come, first-served basis. Availability is limited, so advance ticket purchase is recommended.

Refunds & Exchanges Policy:All ticket sales are final. We are not able to offer refunds. If you are unable to attend, we appreciate your understanding that your ticket purchase directly supports the artists and production.

Exchanges may be requested up to one week prior to the scheduled performance, subject to availability. Within one week of the event date, we are unable to accommodate exchanges.

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE