School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play – 30 September 2026
School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play centers around Aburi Girls Boarding School, where a recruiter named Eloise (Patina Miller) is coming to scout possible contestants for Miss Ghana 1986. The young ladies are determined to have fun, and mostly rally around Paulina (Denée Benton) as the most likely candidate. That is, until Ericka (Jasmine Amy Rogers) transfers schools. Ericka seems an attractive choice— she has spent time in the United States, can afford many nice things, and out sings Paulina by a landslide. There are secrets on both sides and a fierce rivalry emerges, mimicking the thinly veiled rivalry between Eloise and the school’s Headmistress Francis (Heather Alicia Simms). The comedy takes a dark turn (in a literal sense) as Headmistress Francis supports Paulina as a young girl she has invested in and believes in while Eloise, caring only about her own financial gain, wants to select Ericka because her lighter skin tone will be better received by the Miss Global Universe judges. In the end, the power dynamics go exactly as expected, turning this rollicking comedy into a metaphorical sieve where the world’s ugly biases are reinforced. In a play so determined to show the worst side of a cluster of Ghanian school girls (and also the world at large), there is a surprising amount of love in School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play. The love comes through in unexpected ways; as the humor largely relies on denigrating one another, the bonds between characters come through in the relentless determination to support each other through a teasing, taunting, mocking world.
Jocelyn Bioh is a very gifted writer in her ability to make piercing, biting, scathing observations about the world rolled into a comedic context. In a way, she tricks her audiences, letting them believe that there is something funny in this sick, sick world. At the end, she leaves the audience with a message, but, in the case of School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play she chooses not to add a pedantic lesson. The world is biased against Black people and doesn’t see their beauty the way it should. Bioh doesn’t feel the need to elaborate on that idea any further because it speaks for itself. This play is set in 1986— 40 years ago. It’s quite upsetting that this message remains so relevant. Eloise tries to soothe Paulina’a pain at not being selected by describing how many doors lighter skinned Ericka will open for her. Yet Ericka is not light enough to open those doors, dousing not only her own Miss Global Universe chances but also Paulina’s. The painful realization that none of the revelations or fighting led to a victory binds the girls back together, but the cost is understanding that it was never going to matter how thin or pretty they made themselves, these girls never had a chance at global recognition. One of the most painful elements of watching this as a white theatergoer was how quickly the girls bounced back from this disappointment— because they have normalized not feeling beautiful by the world’s standards. It’s profoundly sad to see them accept this so quickly and move on so fast.
Though the technical elements of the show are all pristine, it is the acting that truly makes School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play what it is. All of the performances are part of building a Ghanian story that can be universally understood in the western world, but a few in particular stand out. Erin Morton shines in the role of Nana. I last saw Erin Morton in Heathers, where she played a plus size character who hated and pitied herself. It was really refreshing to see her play Nana with strength and conviction. Her Nana had a spine and stood up for herself in ways that were nuanced and convincing, strongly focused on a refusal to see herself as less than Paulina. Benton for her part gave a laudable performance of Paulina; at times I loved her character, at times I hated her character, but I always saw the humanity shine through the hurting. Simms gave a similarly strong performance. The unshakable commitment of the whole cast was powerful and enabled a seamless shift from the comedic bits to the bits that really aren’t funny.
School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play is an exemplary beacon that reinforces a couple of truths that contemporary theatre is losing sight of. First, people learn best when actively entertained and engaged. Making it funny is a big part of getting people in the door for a lesson voluntarily. Second, a lesson doesn’t need to involve brow-beating and circular conversations and pedantic preaching— it can be cleverly shown and not told. Finally, a show can talk about serious and upsetting themes without being serious and upsetting. Jocelyn Bioh’s script, Whitney White’s direction, and the unwavering commitments of the cast and creative team make it work seamlessly. The biggest takeaway from the show is about the value of friendship and how it can get a person through both disappointment and success. I wish School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play nothing but success.
I attended this performance on a press pass from The Press Room.
