The tongue-in-cheek title doesn\u2019t lie: it\u2019s easy to draw parallels between queen bee Paulina (Den\u00e9e Benton<\/a>) and Mean Girls\u2019s Regina George, as well as American transfer student Ericka (a vibrant Jasmine Amy Rogers<\/a>) and Cady Heron. But Bioh is less interested in her protagonist’s fall from grace than in the complicated inner lives of the characters, each drawn so richly and immediately that it\u2019s impossible to really root against any girl. Paulina may be a manipulative bully, but it soon becomes clear that the societal forces of colorism and global racism are too insidious for her to be a true villain.<\/p>\n Benton is magnificent as Paulina, constantly preening and posturing, but with a hawkish attention to her group’s social dynamics. Paulina\u2019s cruelty towards the other girls \u2014 especially Nana (Erin Morton), the innocent heart of the group \u2014 is nearly irredeemable, but Benton\u2019s vulnerability in Paulina\u2019s lowest moments can be heartrending. In direct competition to her is Ericka, whose sweet demeanor and much fairer skin helps win the admiration of Paulina\u2019s groupies and Eloise Amponsah (Patina Miller<\/a>), a recruiter for the Miss Ghana 1986 pageant that Paulina covets.<\/p>\n Sumptuous costuming (Qween Jean, fresh off of a Tony win for her work on Cats: The Jellicle Ball) adds to the depth and complexity of the Aburi Girls Boarding School, despite the short 80 minutes we spend there. Details in the girls\u2019 uniforms contribute to the tapestry of their lives, from Nana\u2019s expressive hair ties to the way Paulina drapes her cardigan from her shoulders like it\u2019s a fur coat. Headmistress Francis\u2019s (Heather Alicia Simms) African-print dresses envelop her in pride for her country, as well as for her vocation: Her first outfit is a mesmerizing pattern of chalkboards and the letters of the alphabet. On the other hand, Eloise, her former schoolmate and Miss Ghana 1966, arrives at Aburi as though dressed for the French Riviera.<\/p>\n School Girls is at its most fun when all the girls are trading Bioh\u2019s snappy dialogue back and forth like an expert game of pattycake. In scenes like these, there\u2019s a frenetic yet coordinated energy to White\u2019s direction that feels like a celebration of pure, unadulterated girlhood. Together, the cast is an ensemble of consummate comedians with impeccable timing. But the slower, lower-energy scenes hit just as hard. Love and pride for Ghana is something all the characters feel deeply. But it\u2019s how to represent Ghana on the world stage \u2014 or rather, whose skin color is best to do so \u2014 that leads to the ultimate heartbreak of this story.<\/p>\n School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play summary<\/p>\n At Aburi Girls Boarding School in the mountains of Ghana, the popular girls at school are gearing up for tryouts for the Miss Ghana 1986 pageant. No one is more ready than Paulina, their leader, who enthralls the other girls with backhanded compliments and stories of her fancy cousins in America. But when new girl Ericka arrives from the States, Paulina\u2019s carefully controlled world is thrown out of balance. Loyalties are tested as all the girls vie for a spot in the pageant, not realizing until too late that the contest is already rigged against them.<\/p>\n School Girls premiered off Broadway at MCC Theater in 2017, winning playwriting awards at the Outer Critics Circle and Lucille Lortel Awards. Now, nearly 10 years later, it\u2019s making its Broadway debut under the direction of Tony Award nominee Whitney White.<\/p>\n What to expect at School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play<\/p>\n The colorism plot at the heart of School Girls is based on a true story. In 2011, the Miss Ghana pageant officials chose an American-born, light-skinned biracial woman to represent Ghana in the Miss Universe pageant, passing over darker-skinned Ghanaian supermodels. In School Girls, this is exactly what recruiter Eloise hopes for Ericka, the fair-skinned girl of ambiguous parentage; Eloise believes this is the only way Ghana will have a chance at the Miss Universe crown. However,the real-life contestant managed to place. We won’t spoil what happens to Bioh’s fictional one.<\/p>\n Bioh\u2019s 1986 setting puts the girls in a blissfully internet-free decade. But even without constant exposure to social media, the harmful influence of Western beauty standards looms large. Western products like Calvin Klein and Nike hold immeasurable value for the girls, and they swoon at the mention of “trendy” American establishments like White Castle and Wal-Mart (before Ericka sets them straight). Bleaching cream, an often harmful product meant to lighten skin tones, haunts the narrative as colorist standards are made clear to the girls.<\/p>\n School Girls may not be a musical, but audiences are treated to a singing showdown between Benton and Rogers, whose characters face off during their pageant audition. With comedic performances from the rest of the cast, the whole scene elicits just as much laughter as appreciative whooping.<\/p>\n What audiences are saying about School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play<\/p>\n School Girls is earning As, with a 93% audience approval rating on the online aggregator Show-Score, averaged from 205 reviews as of writing.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the best and funniest plays I\u2019ve recently seen and at the same time one of the most serious plays\u2026\u201d – Show-Score user Verena![\"12](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790648088_404_12_school_girls-1200x600-NYTG.png\")
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\n\u201cPerfect. Everyone ate. So good.\u201d – Show-Score user Taylor L
\n\u201cJust as great as it was in 2017!\u201d – Show-Score user Bobby Baby
\n\u201cExcellent storytelling. Incredible pacing and well acted and beautifully directed\u201d – Show-Score user Susan P<\/p>\n