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About School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play
Get tickets for School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play to see this acclaimed play by Tony Award nominee Jocelyn Bioh. A New York Times Critic's Pick, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play plays at Manhattan Theatre Club starting in September. A tale of girlhood, ambition, and the impossible standards of beauty, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play on Broadway is a timely, hilarious, and must-see production.
Whoever is crowned Miss Ghana will enjoy fame, fortune, and prosperity. But at what cost does this prize come, and how realistic is it in a culture run on vanity? Coming back to New York for the first time in nearly a decade after its off-Broadway premiere, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play reunites the powerhouse team behind Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, Bioh and Tony Award-nominated director Whitney White, for this sharp and shimmering comedy.
Playwright Jocelyn Bioh returns to the stage in her own SCHOOL GIRLS; OR, THE AFRICAN MEAN GIRLS PLAY for four performances only, October 9-11.
Run time
1hr 20min. No intermission.
Age
Children under 4 years old will not be admitted.
Start date
September 8th, 2026
End date
November 15th, 2026
“Hilarious and heartfelt exploration of girlhood and colorism”
Mean Girls Meets Ghana With Heart
Set in a 1980s Ghanaian boarding school, this razor-sharp comedy delivers big laughs while tackling weighty themes of colorism, beauty standards, and the cutthroat dynamics of teenage girlhood. Audien...
What It Feels Like
- Laugh-out-loud funny
- Deeply moving
- Thought-provoking
You’ll Love This If…
- You enjoy sharp comedies with substance
- You appreciate stories exploring colorism and beauty standards
- You love powerhouse ensemble casts
It was a play for us and by us (black Americans) and love the perspective of how it incorporates how society tries to turn us against each other
Very humorous and engaging. The actors were fun to watch
I was completely absorbed in this play from beginning to end - the acting, costumes, set, writing, and direction make for an all around great night of theater. The time went by so quickly!
Stars on stage

Jasmine Amy Rogers

Denée Benton

Patina Miller
School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play cast and creative team
By: Jocelyn Bioh
Director: Whitney White
Producer: Manhattan Theatre Club, Chase This Productions, Susan Kelechi Watson
Cast list: Lucia Aremu (as Ama), Denée Benton (as Paulina), Patina Miller (as Eloise Amponsah), Erin Morton (as Nana), Nia Otchere-Sarfo (as Gifty), Jordan Rice (as Mercy), Jasmine Amy Rogers (as Ericka), Heather Alicia Simms (as Headmistress Francis)
Sets: Teresa L. Williams
Costumes: Qween Jean
Lighting: Stacey Derosier
Sound: Cody Spencer
Other info: Dialect coaching by Dawn-Elin Fraser; wig, hair, and makeup design by Nikiya Mathis
Venue
Accessibility
Elevator access, wheelchair access, assisted listening devices, on-demand closed captioning, open captioning, audio description, Braille and large print Playbills
More information about School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play
School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls comes to Manhattan Theatre Club's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, which is known to host revivals of acclaimed plays. In Bioh's lauded comedy, Paulina, the queen bee of Aburi Girls Boarding School in Ghana, believes she is destined for prizes and power. However, when a pageant recruiter comes to her school, Paulina and her classmates pull out all the moves to impress her. But to their surprise, it is a new transfer student — all the way from America — who kicks the competition into a higher, even more personal gear.
With cutting insight about what it means to be a young Black woman in the world of pageants, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls is a thrilling, heartfelt, and incisive comedy about how beauty is celebrated — and wielded. This new Broadway production is produced in association with Chase This Productions and Susan Kelechi Watson.
What to watch for
- Chase This Productions is an independent producer who helmed the world premiere of pre-existing condition by Marin Ireland.
- Jocelyn Bioh's TV credits include “Russian Doll,” Spike Lee’s “She’s Gotta Have It," and “Tiny Beautiful Things."
- A Tony nominee, Whitney White's Broadway credits include Liberation, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, and The Last Five Years.
- Manhattan Theatre Club is also known for originating Pulitzer winners, like Doubt and Proof.
Additional Information
Children under 4 are not permitted in the theatre.
No weapons permitted on the premises. No outside food or beverages, electric scooters, e-bikes, or battery-powered transportation devices, except when medically necessary.
All items are subject to inspection. Anything brought into the theatre must fit on your lap or completely under your seat without blocking any aisles.
The use of cameras, cell phones, and other recording devices during the show is strictly prohibited by law, except when used for accessibility services.
Upcoming performances
Frequently asked questions
Which theatre is School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play at?
School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play is at New York's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, which is located at 261 West 47th Street, New York, 10036.
How do you get tickets for School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play?
Check the top of this page for current availability on School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play tickets on TodayTix.
What is the running time of School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play?
School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play runs for 1hr 20min. No intermission.
What is the age recommendation for School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play?
Children under 4 years old will not be admitted.
What is School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play about?
School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play is about beauty, girlhood, and coming of age in a surface-obsessed culture.
Who wrote School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play?
Jocelyn Bioh, a Tony nominee also known for her TV work like "Russian Doll" wrote this play.
Who directed School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play?
Tony nominee Whitney White, known for Liberation, directs this play.
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