School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (255)
See it if You’re into an emotion-rollercoaster ride; willing to be surprised. The rippling effect of white-dominant aesthetics in a remoter Ghana town
Don't see it if Can’t think of any. It’s a medium-budget production in it’s most effective and efficient form
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 want to see a different version of mean girls. You want to see a show with an excellent cast that delivers important messages
Don't see it if You only like musicals. You like shows with a large cast. You don't like shows about race. Read more
See it if you appreciate sharp, smart plays that treat teenage girls, their dynamics, & their traumas with respect, warmth, & humor (a la The Wolves)
Don't see it if you find accents difficult to understand during quick dialogue and are unwilling to put in the effort to try to keep up
See it if You like a strong, all female cast, dealing with topics such as bullying, and beauty standards in a 1986 African school.
Don't see it if You don't like mean girls, gossip, school lunchtime, or bullying.
See it if A refreshing night's entertainment with a message. Nicely written, great cast.
Don't see it if I really think anyone would enjoy this.
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 You like funny, freshly written plays that don't give clear answers. Ready 4 All Female
Don't see it if You're not interested in plays by and about women of color, African culture or the "other" - want a light bite @theatre
Critic Reviews (29)
“While you’re waiting for the musical version of the movie to arrive on Broadway this spring, warm up with this remarkable journey into a Ghanaian girls’ school...Staged by Taichman with an irresistible combination of verve and sensitivity, ‘School Girls’ is pretty impossible not to love, even as the play takes a predictable turn into heart-on-sleeve coming-of-age territory. The ensemble is flawless and so engaging that this MCC Theater production has now been extended twice."
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"Delightful ensemble work...The play is full of light and laughter...It’s impossible not to laugh at their clever, but cruel schoolgirl humor. At the same time, it’s impossible not to brood over the importance they place on skin tone...One thing you cannot call this play is subtle...Bioh goes too far with the character of Paulina, who is an insufferably over-the-top narcissist and far too polished a villain."
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"A ferociously entertaining morality tale that proves as heartwarming as it is hilarious...Bioh makes an auspicious playwriting debut with this uproarious comedy that also pulls at the heartstrings...The broad humor occasionally lacks subtlety, and the piece feels like an extended one-act. But when was the last time you wished a play were actually longer?...Taichman provides a fast-paced staging that makes the play engaging from first minute to last."
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"One of the funniest shows of the season, benefiting not just from sharp writing, but a stellar cast that knows how to ground this comedy in real stakes...Director Rebecca Taichman has impressively fostered a familiarity within the cast that makes it seems as though they've been living together for years...It would be easy to condemn Paulina as a mean girl, but Bioh forces us to question how she became that way."
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"Rebecca Taichman's direction hits all the right notes, lightly spoofing the girls' aspirations while also demonstrating that these beautiful, bubbly, intelligent young creatures are beguiling enough without having to borrow from Western culture. The cast is loaded with fresh faces you'll want to see again...It's even easier to imagine bright futures for the talented young ladies of the cast and their playwright, all of whom make their mark in this delightful comedy-drama."
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"That rare piece of theatre that feels authentic from beginning to end—a perfect amalgam of prescient writing, superb acting, spot-on design and savvy direction...A taut exploration of racism, colorism and classism that upends notions of self-loathing and challenges the world's definition of beauty...You'll feel the heartache and unfairness of a callous world amidst the laughter and gaiety playwright Bioh so accurately captures."
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“Highly comic and poignant...a fresh take on the familiar terrain of feuding high school girls. It's a substantive comedy that’s superbly staged and wonderfully performed...Bioh’s snappy dialogue perfectly renders the rhythms of teenage lingo and the pain beneath the bravado, emitting the universality of adolescence. Bioh’s construction is meticulous....Besides the foreign setting there’s nothing really 'new' about the play but’s it’s so well written and gloriously presented."
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"Colorism has real implications that we see brought to bear to stinging effect...This idea is explored in nuanced moments...’School Girls’ is also very funny...Sometimes, the play's brisk 75-minute pacing does lead to moments that feel simplified...It's a compliment to ‘School Girls’ to say that there could fruitfully be more of it...Bioh has crafted a fresh, keen interpretation of a frequently used trope, while Taichman and her cast have created a lively and satisfying production.”
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