A new Broadway season has just begun, with shows like Paranormal Activity, A Few Good Men, and Wanted hitting the stages. However, a show that opened recently has captured my attention since its announcement. The new hit comedy, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, opened on Sept. 28 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. This play has been on my watchlist for so long, and on Oct. 3, I was lucky enough to see the show.
The story is set in Ghana in 1986, at the Aburi Girls Boarding School in the mountains. There, the students are excited and obsessed with the recruiter for the upcoming Miss Ghana contest, who is coming to their school to choose a student. This means everything to the students because the contest will lead to the Miss Universe pageant, which can lead to a life of fame and fortune. Our two leads are Paulina (played by Denée Benton), known as the “Queen Bee” or “Regina George” at the school, and Ericka (played by Jasmine Amy Rogers), a new transfer student from America. From this, tensions rise between our queen bee and the transfer student. Furthermore, the cast also includes Eloise Amponsah (played by Patina Miller), Ama (played by Lucia Aremu), Headmistress Francis (played by Heather Alicia Simms), Mercy (played by Jordan Rice), Gifty (played by Nia Otchere-Sarfo), and Nana (played by Erin Morton).
There are so many positives I have to say about this show. First off, Jocelyn Bioh, the playwright of the show, is one of my favorites. She is also known for her Tony Award-winning play Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. Thanks to her amazing talent, she and Whitney White, the director of the play, are back at it again. Moreover, since I really enjoyed Jaja’s, I knew this play would not disappoint. You might be thinking, “Well, since the word ‘Mean Girls’ is in the title, it’s just a funny interpretation of the iconic movie, right?” While it does feature the queen bee vs. new student trope, this story explores many other contexts, such as teenage hierarchy, colorism, and Western beauty standards. The story will leave you either crying or reflecting deeply on today’s society and standards, which I believe is much more impactful than making a spinoff of the iconic film. Fun fact: I actually had the chance to read this entire play, do a monologue on it, and get to analyze and work on a project about it. So, being able to see the show I’ve poured my research into was the icing on the cake. Another positive aspect is the acting. Normally, when reviewing a Broadway show, I praise the acting, no matter how good or bad the show might be. However, with this show, the acting was truly on a different level. I really connected not only with Rogers’ character but also with Benton’s. They really make you reflect on yourself, not just as a person, but more so on your character, how you stand in societal beauty standards, and more. I also really loved the supporting characters; they not only had amazing comedic timing but were also really heartfelt in emotional scenes. My next favorite aspect was the costuming; I especially loved the headmistress’s costumes. The way she enters with a presence is also expressed with her outfits, which is something I really loved. Finally, the last aspect I enjoyed was the set design. While the set only shows the cafeteria inside the school, it feels rather nice to stick to one setting. The interior design was amazing, from the small, detailed walls to the pictures hanging on them.
Now, normally when reviewing, I like to discuss the things that hold a show back. However, with this show, I cannot think of one. There is not a single negative thing I can say about this show. From beginning to end, my eyes were glued to the stage, my attention was on the characters, and the story took me into a whole different world. I definitely recommend seeing this show before it closes in November!