{
  "id": 10580000,
  "title": "‘School Girls’ Broadway Review: Denée Benton Isn’t Just Mean, She’s a Teenage Lady Macbeth",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/school-girls-broadway-review-denee-benton-isnt-just-mean-shes-a",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-29T01:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TheWrap",
    "slug": "thewrap",
    "url": "https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/theater/school-girls-broadway-review/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "The star of HBO's \"The Gilded Age\" gets cattier than any character in Clare Boothe Luce's \"The Women\" The post ‘School Girls’ Broadway Review: Denée Benton Isn’t Just Mean, She’s a Teenage Lady Macbeth appeared first on TheWrap .",
  "key_points": [
    "Broadway revival of 'School Girls' opens at MTC's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre",
    "Denée Benton stars as mean school girl Paulina",
    "Patina Miller plays arrogant beauty-pageant recruiter Patina"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Denée Benton's starring role as a ruthless school girl elevates the Broadway revival of School Girls, showcasing intense rivalries that outdo classic portrayals of female confrontations.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Deadline",
        "title": "‘School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play’ Broadway Review: When Escape Is Just A Clique Away",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/school-girls-or-the-african-mean-girls-play-broadway-review-when",
        "published": "2026-09-29T01:30:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Variety",
        "title": "‘School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play’ Broadway Review: An Exceptional Portrait of Black Girlhood",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/school-girls-or-the-african-mean-girls-play-broadway-review-an",
        "published": "2026-09-29T01:30:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "NYT Arts",
        "title": "Denée Benton and Patina Miller Help Give ‘School Girls’ a Broadway Glow-Up",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/denee-benton-and-patina-miller-help-give-school-girls-a-broadway-glow",
        "published": "2026-09-29T01:30:07.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}