Nikiya Mathis is a Tony Award-Winning Hair & Wig Designer who turned her challenges on set and on stage into her power. After earning her MFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, she kicked off her career in show business as an actress, starring in Off-Broadway premieres like The Brother/Sister Plays and Skeleton Crew, in addition to landing roles in TV shows like The Last O.G. and Snowfall. As an actress, she recalls a moment while sitting in the hair and makeup chair when she had to endure hot tools that were hot enough to damage her hair and harm her scalp. As a designer, she worked on a show where she was the only Black designer, which left her feeling isolated and unsupported. Leveraging these personal experiences, Nikiya founded ActTRESSES Design & Consulting Agency to prioritize wig design and hair styling for actors of color in film, TV, and theater. In 2024, Nikiya Mathis made history when she won the Special Tony Award for her incredible work in Jaja’s African Hair Braiding — and now, you can see Nikiya’s work on stage in full color for Cats: The Jellicle Ball, which will be on Broadway until January 17th.
For this Pride month, we chatted with Nikiya about what it means to work on a show that celebrates the beauty of ballroom culture and bold hair. Plus, a little birdie told us that they spotted some Good Dye Young color in her hair kit…
For anyone who hasn't seen the show yet, how would you describe the hair world of Cats: The Jellicle Ball? What's the visual language you were going for?
The hair world of Cats: The Jellicle Ball lives at the intersection of identity, ballroom culture, high fashion, and character storytelling. Every wig is designed to feel like an extension of the performer's identity while still supporting the larger world of the Jellicle Ball. It's a ball!
We wanted the hair to feel expressive, elevated, and unapologetically bold. Texture, shape, color, and silhouette all become part of how each character enters the room and claims space.
Color became one of our strongest storytelling tools. Some characters lean into vibrant, high-energy shades that immediately communicate confidence, glamour, or status, while others use more nuanced color placement to reveal something about their status — like the gray and white for Old Deuteronomy. There is a character named Macavity who is the Ginger Cat, so although I knew that the color of her hair would be ginger, I still had to collaborate with our designer Qween Jean to decide what shade of ginger we were going for. We actually used several ginger shades that leaned into a reddish hue. We also looked at how color functioned within Ballroom culture, where hair, fashion, and beauty have always been tools of self-expression. Every color choice was intentional and helped define each character's unique presence within the world of the Ball. Again, Macavity is a genfer-red so anytime she walks on stage you feel fire. Or there's Bombalurina, who is a bit like a bumblebee, so her hair is a vibrant yellow and black. When you look at these characters, their hair speaks clearly to their identity.
How many wigs are you working with across the full cast, and what does a typical show night look like from a hair department perspective?
We currently maintain more than 30 wigs on stage on any given night and have over 70 in the full production, including swings. A typical show night begins well before the audience arrives. The wig crew is prepping wigs and setting styles. Sometimes, our costume department is repairing snaps on some of our specialty wigs that go through a lot of stress. The wig crew is also pre-setting wigs backstage for quick changes. Actors usually have to start getting into wigs at what we call “half hour” in theater. However, our show is so big that we have a 45 minute call. At 45 minutes before showtime, some actors come to the wig room and our crew gets them into their wigs and makeup; meanwhile, our lead actors get their wigs and makeup done in their dressing rooms. Once the show begins, the hair department facilitates wig “quick changes” to ensure that the continuity of the wig design is maintained. Once a designer sets the wig design, costume, or makeup design, it needs to remain that exact way throughout the course of the production, unless the designer approves a change. So, the job of the team is to help to facilitate that vision, backstage and throughout the run. After the curtain call, actors return to the wig room, because they are not allowed to put on or remove their own wigs, based upon union rules. After that, the crew blocks the wigs and resets them for the next performance. This includes roller-setting, braiding, pin-curling, etc.
Which look or character gave you the most creative freedom and which was the most challenging to execute?
Hmm…that's a hard question, but I think I felt the most creative freedom designing wigs for Old Deuteronomy, Skimbleshanks, and Macavity. In the previous iteration of Cats, this character was male-presenting but this time around Macavity was female, so I had fun thinking about her. Our actress is an icon in the ballroom scene, so we also wanted to give her some fun hair to play with. So, I came up with a wig transformation that happens during the labels category that our costume designer was really excited about. The character is the mother of her own house, so I also wanted to give her a design that felt like a statement and I wanted her hair to be a part of her identity. I came up with the idea that her bangs were a branding of who she is, so 2 of her wigs have pointed bangs which create the shape of an “M” for Macavity.
When you're building a live production that runs eight shows a week, how do you think about longevity and consistency while keeping the color vivid?
The challenge is always balancing artistry with practicality. I started with the colors and then brainstormed the best ways to maintain the color over time. On a show like this — with the amount of styling, wear, and tear — things have to eventually be touched up over time. The biggest part of maintenance is being careful about how the hair is treated from night to night. Consistency is everything, so we build maintenance schedules and restoration processes directly into the life of the production.
Ballroom culture has always used fashion, hair, and beauty as a form of self-expression and identity. How do you think about that legacy in the work you're doing on this show?
It is why it was so exciting for me to design this show. On Broadway, the irony is that hair and wig design is probably one of the least respected crafts. However, it is one of the first things that you see. When it comes to people of color in particular, I have always had an affinity for making sure they show up beautifully in stories. This is why our costume designer and I have had a great relationship, because we are always trying to figure out how to make something beautiful. Qween also brought on our makeup designer, Rania, who beats their faces beautifully. Ballroom culture has always been about visibility, creativity, community, and self-definition. It was important to all of us to make these characters beautiful, and to highlight the beauty that has been for so long overlooked in marginalized communities.
PRIDE month feels like a meaningful time for this production to be running on Broadway. What does it mean to you personally to be part of this show right now?
It's incredibly meaningful. I remember the night of the very first preview as I watched each performer take the stage, and I remember feeling this overwhelming sense of gratitude for being chosen to be the designer of this project. Our directors, Zhailon and Bill, didn't have to bring me along for the journey. Our costume designer, Qween, is an icon in this community and she did not have to bring me along for the journey. For these brilliant artists to have welcomed me into this space and to have believed that I was the person to help to paint this world beautifully, felt so overwhelming to me in that moment. After that first show ended in a thunderous standing ovation, I remember watching the acclaim that Qween got and sitting there feeling like a proud friend. She had helped the artists on stage show how brilliant they are, and I was grateful to be part of the team that helped show the audience the brilliant artist that she is. I also understand what it feels like to be told that who you are does not fit in, so it was an honor to be part of a historical moment that was helping to create space for marginalized communities on “The Great White Way.”
How did GDY come into the picture for this production — what made it the right fit?
I was introduced to it by one of our hair and makeup team members, Karol. She talked about how many awesome products they had and it made me absolutely want to connect with the company! Color is such an important part of our visual storytelling, and I was interested in products capable of delivering vibrant, high-impact results.
Which GDY shades are you working with, and which have become your go-tos for the show?
Honestly, we found GDY after the design had started. Much of the color for the show had been done before we created a connection with the company; however, there have been times where we needed to freshen color and GDY has been a lifesaver! When we needed to refresh the vibrant yellow color for our character Bombalurina's afro, we used Steal My Sunshine yellow!
Is there a particular look onstage that you feel really shows off what GDY can do?
That's tricky, since most of the colors have been used to refresh the wigs but I would say Steal My Sunshine would certainly be one of them. Seeing how the vivid colors read under Broadway lighting while still maintaining depth and movement is awesome!
NEW & TRENDING
View all
