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

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.

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).

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.