School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play

See it if you want to see a very amusing, deeply moving, sharply biting, highly insightful play about the search for identity & what defines beauty.

Don't see it if you'd prefer the caricatures of selfish American teens in the musical Mean Girls to the realness of these irresistible African "mean girls".

See it if taut well-acted tale filled w laughs, drama & profound observations about teen girl & Africa's 2nd class status; "mean girls" but much more

Don't see it if some of the drama is ginned up; at 70 minutes no time to differentiate all 6 teens

Also Set in Ghana HS for black girls, play starts w standard "mean girls" plot: queen bee (QB) dominates her minions w taunts about body image. Amusing but standard fare. We all know the QB has to get her comeuppance. How that happens reflects an African twist: SPOILER ALERT the QB aspires to win the Miss Ghana beauty pageant but is supplanted by a transfer student who is both more talented and MORE WHITE. That's a searing revelation about racial status in Africa. Then SPOILER 2: the transfer student does not make it into semi-finals of the Miss Universe contest. Revelation 2: not only are the African girls second class citizens, who define themselves in terms of their appearance, Ghana is a second class country. So slight "mean girls" tale becomes something weightier: a rumination on corrosive role of race/skin color and the subordinate status of Africa/Africans. Still set vs. meanness is a ray of hope: the kindnesses many girls show 2 each other. In all a very rich play!... Read more Read less

See it if African boarding school pageant brings funny, refreshing take on serious subjects of bullying and self-esteem. Enthusiasticly game ensemble

Don't see it if Woman's inhumanity to woman may be explored ad nauseam, but the cultural surprise makes this bitter pill go down easily.Underdeveloped 65 mn

Also Catch the final Lucille Lortel performances, before she is shuttered at the Village address.... Read more Read less

See it if You’re interested in seeing a top-notch, all-female, all-black cast in a humorous, Mean Girls-style play.

Don't see it if You’re sick of media about catty teenage girls who are obsessed with beauty because they have underlying issues. This play is nothing new.

See it if Totally absorbing, funny, sad, tense and entertaining. Offers lots to think about, many issues brought up. Would be great for teenagers.

Don't see it if You want to see a big broadway musical or something with extravagant sets and costumes. But set, costumes etc were all perfect for this show

Also I'm so happy MCC brought this back. I'd felt terrible about missing it last fall. It is really worth seeing. Very accessible, short (only 75 minutes) and enjoyable. Nice to have a thoughtful play about teenage girls. Not so many of those...Made me think of The Wolves which I also loved.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see a great story with superb acting from an all female cast. Resonant and smart, funny and heartbreaking.

Don't see it if You don't like shows about school girls and don't want to see girls be petty and cruel.

See it if You need a good laugh!! If you liked Mean Girls you’ll appreciate this.

Don't see it if You want serious drama.

See it if you appreciate good theatre.

Don't see it if You don't like straight plays.

See it if Popular girl’s position as influencer of the crew is threatened by newcomer, shows common characteristics of both African and American teens

Don't see it if Sight-lines in the Lortel theatre are not ideal. Short play exploits stereotypes of both Africans and teenage girls for humor.

See it if you want to be surprised by a thoroughly entertaining and relevant play. Well-written, terrific actresses. The play flew by.

Don't see it if you don't want to be entertained or do not care about how race and socio-economic issues affect young girls.

See it if you want a play that touches you, makes you laugh, teaches you, challenges your preconceptions.Powerful statement about racial identity

Don't see it if you are looking for a fun musical like Mean Girls.In addition to dealing with high school bullies, this shines light of racial exclusion.

See it if Interested in a different take on racism, colorism & classism, this time in an all girls school in Ghana circa 1986. Beautifully performed.

Don't see it if you are not interested in another play about mean girls. This one, though similar in subject matter, is more thoughtful & more resonant.

See it if A lovely comedy drama about the universality of teenage girls. Sweet story, well acted by a great ensemble.

Don't see it if Do not see if you are not interested in other cultures or prefer musicals.

See it if you want to see the African mean girl, however this had a beautifully handled topic of race and color. Saw new prod.in LA. Excellent cast

Don't see it if a hopefully outdated glimpse into color preference with in a race, doesn't excite you. However, it was a well edited, short show. saw 9/18

See it if you want an insightful and humorous view into the cross-cultural behavior of high school girls. Thoroughly entertaining, funny but profound

Don't see it if you have no interest in the motivations and emotions of teenage girls.

See it if you'd enjoy a seriocomic Ghanese-take on 'Mean Girls'. Disturbing, biting (bullying, peer pressure, power tug-of-war); otherwise hysterical.

Don't see it if you'd struggle comprehending lightning-fast dialogue, especially foreign-accents (unfortunately, performers are NOT mic'd).

Also Funny as hell, right from the start.

When the book takes its nasty turn, it's palpable as hell, too. Eventual twist/arc is predictable, but it's totally ok & doesn't mess at all w/enjoying how the show proceeds. Resolve is a quietly-pausing, take-it or leave-it moment. Being a pageant freakazoid & having lived that tv-viewing moment year after year for ages, I totally took-it & absorbed the light-dimming resolve thoroughly. My companion? Not so much.

Accents go in & out a bit (not the end of the world). They DO need to slow down though, or they need to be mic'd. The actresses don't pause while we're laughing (we already lose a bit w/the fast-talking), so we lose even more dialogue after the jokes land.

Standouts: the OMG performance of MaameYaa Boafo (unapologetic bully "Paulina"); Abena Bonsu (caterpillar-turned-butterfly "Nana"); the giggly cousins Paige Gilbert ("Gifty") & Mirirai Sithole ("Mercy").

Here, director Rebecca Taichman redeems herself from the flat "This Flat Earth".... Read more Read less

See it if Clever intersectional exploration of colonialism, unhealthy standards of beauty, capitalism, relationships,& racism thru small village girls

Don't see it if For this production (Nov 19, 2018), acting seemed uneven among cast. Really harsh, mean girls scare you — it's not the Mean Girls movie.

Also Ticket from online rush on TodayTix for $32.50.

See it if You want to see a smartly written play about teenagers, race, and the question of what defines beauty. Acting was spot on.

Don't see it if You have had enough of “mean girls”. However this is from the point of view of a different culture.

See it if You enjoy small ensemble realism. You want a show that investigates the real stakes of youth.

Don't see it if You find accents difficult. You don't care about high school.

See it if You’re up for a funny play that also digs deep as it examines the subculture of high school girls. The setting in Ghana adds layers.

Don't see it if You’re not interested in high school girls and their world.

Also I wouldn’t say this play is groundbreaking, but it has plenty to say as it takes a look at a high school alpha girl and her followers. We've seen this sort of thing before in Mean Girls and Heathers. Under the bravado and the confidence is a wounded young woman who is struggling to overcome the shame and inadequacy she feels. She puts other girls down so that she can feel superior, at least for a little while. The added dimension in School Girls is the racial subtleties and the pecking order based on skin color. We watch as the facade cracks and the emotion spills out.

I like that a similar situation is played out with the headmistress and a former classmate, who reappears after many years.

Excellent performances and direction enhance the writing and make for a very enjoyable 70 minutes. Plus, the song performance is one of the funniest things I have seen on stage, as the different girls display their talent, or lack thereof. Highly recommended!... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see the Ghanaian version of Mean Girls. You like charming, funny shows.

Don't see it if Would get bored watching a show about teenagers.

See it if You like the catty high school girls who climb over each other story, here in a new venue.

Don't see it if You were expecting a more powerful drama. This nubbin of pain is candy coated, and lightweight.

See it if you like funny shows about teens

Don't see it if you're not a fan of mean girls or interested in issues of racism within a race.

See it if you want to see a smart play about teen girls that deals with important topics. Funny, heartbreaking, touching. This onepacks a punch.

Don't see it if you just aren't interested in how girls interact and what their cruelty toward each other masks. I wish this was longer and went deeper.

See it if You want to see a dark comedy that has a point and makes it without apology. Want to see Mean Girls, but with a purpose.

Don't see it if You dislike plays with very visceral verbal abuse.

Also "I rewrote the thing twenty-seven times." -Jocelyn Bioh

Sometimes the tweets-seventh time is the charm. School Girls is a devastating gut punch of a dark comedy with a great script and a stellar cast.

I usually like to single out a performance or two but that's just not possible here. The entire ensemble are equally adept. Though maybe Joanna A. jones' vocal performance steals the show, at least momentarily, as it is supposed to.

The set is wonderful, and the lighting and sound design effective.

The direction is simple and sharp. The script does most of the heavy lifting. And what a script. It's just vicious. I don't think I've ever felt more sympathy pain than when Nana, played by Abena Mensah-Bonsu has to take the full brunt of Pauline's abuse.

The play drew me in for its duration but I was truly on the edge of my seat for its ending.

There was a note in the program that School Girls has been filmed and will be broadcast on PBS. Don't miss it.... Read more Read less