Theater News

School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play to Return to MCC This Fall

Jocelyn Bioh’s hit play will head to Los Angeles before its remounting in New York City.

Los Angeles Off-Broadway
Abena Mensah-Bonsu, Mirirai Sithole, and Paige Gilbert in MCC's world-premiere production of School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play at MCC Theater.
Abena Mensah-Bonsu, Mirirai Sithole, and Paige Gilbert in MCC's world-premiere production of School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play at the Lucille Lortel Theatre.
(© Joan Marcus)

MCC Theater has announced a return engagement of Jocelyn Bioh's School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play, playing a strictly limited engagement at the Lucille Lortel Theatre this fall. Performances will run October 16-November 25 with an official opening night set for October 22. Additional information, including casting, will be announced shortly.

School Girls, directed by Tony winner Rebecca Taichman, had its world premiere with MCC in the fall of 2017. The cast featured Nabiyah Be (Black Panther, Hadestown), MaameYaa Boafo (Untamed), Paige Gilbert (Street Children), Obie Award winner Zainab Jah (Eclipsed), Nike Kadri (The Death of the Last Black Man…), Abena Mensah-Bonsu (Ragtime on Ellis Island), Mirirai Sithole (The Death of the Last Black Man…), and Lortel Award nominee Myra Lucretia Taylor (Familiar).

The play is described as follows: "Paulina, the reigning Queen Bee at Ghana's most exclusive boarding school, has her sights set on the Miss Universe pageant. But the mid-year arrival of Ericka, a new student with undeniable talent and beauty, captures the attention of the pageant recruiter — and Paulina's hive-minded friends. This buoyant and biting comedy explores the universal similarities (and glaring differences) facing teenage girls across the globe. How far would you go to be queen bee?"

Before its second New York run, MCC Theater’s production of School Girls will launch the Center Theatre Group’s 2018-19 season at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles. The show will run from September 2-30, with an official opening night set for September 8.

The original design team of School Girls returns for this production, and includes scenic design by Arnulfo Maldonado, costume design by Dede M. Ayite, lighting design by Jen Schriever, sound design by Palmer Hefferan, hair and wig design by Cookie Jordan, and dialect coaching by Deborah Hecht.

For tickets to the Los Angeles run, click here.

For tickets to the New York run, click here.