‘School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play’ Broadway Review: An Exceptional Portrait of Black Girlhood
Late girlhood has a sacredness that can’t be replicated. It’s a particular time in life between innocence and adulting, allowing young women to swing between the two. Jocelyn Bioh’s sensational play, “School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play,” captures this magic and anguish, set against the specificity of mid-1980s Ghana. Directed by Whitney White, […]
The Broadway revival of "School Girls, or, the African Mean Girls Play" opened recently at MTC's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. The cast is notably more star-studded compared to the ensemble that performed it Off Broadway in 2017. Denée Benton (HBO's "The Gilded Age") stars as Paulina, the quintessential mean school girl who goes to war against Jasmine Amy Rogers (Tony nominated for "Betty Boop" and soon-to-be Maria in "The Sound of Music" at Lincoln Center), who plays Ericka, the beautiful new school girl.
Patina Miller (Tony winner for "Pippin") portrays an arrogant beauty-pageant recruiter, Patina. The rivalry and confrontations between these characters surpass anything found in Clare Boothe Luce's "The Women." However, the play's humor sometimes falls flat, which some may attribute to Bioh's comedy potentially being written by teenagers themselves.
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- ‘School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play’ Broadway Review: When Escape Is Just A Clique Away deadline.com
- Denée Benton and Patina Miller Help Give ‘School Girls’ a Broadway Glow-Up nytimes.com
