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The Company of School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play Meet the Press

Tony winner Rebecca Taichman directs this world premiere production of Jocelyn Bioh’s play for MCC.

Jocelyn Bioh (rear) and the cast of School Girls.
Jocelyn Bioh (back row, center) and the cast of School Girls meet the press.
(© David Gordon)

The cast and creative team of MCC's world premiere production of Jocelyn Bioh's School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play met the press today in their rehearsal studio at the Pershing Square Signature Center. Tony winner Rebecca Taichman (Indecent) directs the production, set to begin performances November 1 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre ahead of a November 16 opening.

Director Rebecca Taichman and playwright Jocelyn Bioh get together for a photo.
Director Rebecca Taichman and playwright Jocelyn Bioh get together for a photo.
(© David Gordon)

The cast features 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).

Bernard Telsey, Jocelyn Bioh, Will Cantler, and Blake West grab a photo together at the School Girls meet and greet.
Bernard Telsey, Jocelyn Bioh, Will Cantler, and Blake West grab a photo together at the School Girls meet and greet.
(© David Gordon)

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?"

The creative team includes scenic design by Arnulfo Maldonado, costume design by Dede Ayite, lighting design by Jen Schriever, sound design by Palmer Hefferan, and dialect coaching by Deborah Hecht.

Bioh is a Ghanaian-American writer and performer currently appearing in Suzan-Lori Parks's In the Blood at the Pershing Square Signature Center.

For tickets and more information, click here.