School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (255)
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 Read more
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 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 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 Read more
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 Read more
See it if you appreciate good theatre.
Don't see it if You don't like straight plays.
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.
Critic Reviews (29)
"This eight-member ensemble is a well-oiled machine...Bioh, a shrewd comic writer of obvious gifts, doesn’t shrink from the uglier side of her subject. And she maintains enough empathy to redeem even the most narcissistic and spiteful of antiheroines...I saw and adored 'School Girls' last fall, and good on MCC for bringing it back. Taichman recreates her very musical, funny, and tight-paced 70-minute production, which includes...one of the most appealing ensembles on stage now."
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“Most of MCC's excellent world premiere cast returns in Tony-winning director Rebecca Taichman's spot-on production. They're joined by a trio of terrific new colleagues in a production that effectively blends humor and bite to swiftly make its points in a play that's solidly satisfying in just 75 minutes."
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"Uproarious. Affecting, human, and sympathetic, too; but this is the funniest time you’ve spent in high school since those 'History Boys' came to town...The play is brightened by a uniformly talented cast. Boafo and Jones make a strong mismatch...Anyone who laughed through it last November is likely to urge friends to catch the play before it closes...Because yes, 'School Girls' is a joy to see."
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"Punchy, crisp, and sly...The laughs are combined with some tougher drama...Race, ideals of beauty, and personal identity are at the heart of 'School Girls'—and they are uncompromisingly addressed by Bioh and the cast. The play is only 75 minutes long, and perhaps on the Lortel stage that makes sense. But it is so smart, quick, and intelligent this critic kept wishing it was longer. Maybe if it grows to a bigger stage, it just might."
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“A highly entertaining comedy that takes an all-too-familiar American concept and shows how universal it indeed is...Bioh gives room for the characters to grow without completely vilifying our lead character or making her a victim...Paulina could quickly be the bitch...but it’s in Boafo’s excellent acting choices and Bioh’s complex writing that leads the audience to appreciate the intricacies of humanity...A well-paced, rewarding ensemble show that is equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking.”
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"The nasty-teen comedy genre emerges wonderfully refreshed and even deepened by its immersion in a world it never considered...Beneath the infectious silliness of Biog's play’s adopted genre, the ugly question of internalized racism lurks...Mostly and smartly, she trusts the form; there’s a reason these stories work. Ms. Taichman’s production highlights all of those reasons...One of the production’s chief assets is the delicious ensemble work."
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"Nearly assaultive hilarity...'School Girls' is a kind of Bioh bonanza; after several seasons of settling for just one of her, there are suddenly eight...Her brief play is missing its middle...Taichman leans so far into the bright Punch-and-Judy colors of the first 50 minutes that the last, humanistic 20 seem to take place on a different planet. Still, Bioh knows how to write a stunning breakdown scene, and Boafo handles the tonal switcheroo with ease."
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"Funny and fast-paced...Under Taichman’s confident hand, 'School Girls' rolls swiftly through its 75 minutes...'School Girls' is formulaic without being unsatisfying. Familiar structures, especially when full of fresh faces and sharp humor, can be deeply enjoyable...Its emotional and narrative leaps are fast, even a little too fast...Bioh knows how to craft bouncy, juicy dialogue that performers can have fun with."
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