School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play

This is the best thing I’ve seen in a long, long time!! Period! Everything about it is actually perfect to me, no notes. (I’ve never used the word “perfect” to describe a play before.) I will concede my biases: there are many aspects of this production (the cast and creatives involved, a non-profit theater I love and support, Black culture and music, women being glamorous and fighting, fat girls on stage…on and on) that are just in my wheelhouse of favorite things, and the kind of work and characters I have always been most drawn to. That being said—as displayed in her incredible recent work “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”—Jocelyn Bioh knows how to write drama and tension that is so juicy, my jaw stayed open, there’s not a word out of place. This cast is unreal. Every actor on that stage is a scene stealer and a superstar in their own way. Jasmine Amy Rogers is an absolute legend in the making. Denee Benton is glorious to watch. Patina Miller is spectacular. Erin Morton is…me. And she’s my hero. I don’t even have the words!! I need to shout out the incomparable Whitney White, who continues to inspire me with every project she takes on, and has quickly become my favorite stage director working today. I also love seeing a Ghanaian story that is so human and personal—presenting truthful, specific West-African experiences from an authentic perspective with love and care, not a stereotype in sight. This is based on Ms. Bioh’s mother’s actual boarding school in the 1980s. I want (we NEED) to see more plays centering non-white, non-male and non-American/Western experiences on Broadway! Support this kind of art, vote with your dollar to let the industry know these stories deserve to be told and can find an audience!! YOU MUST SEE THIS PLAY!!