Jocelyn Bioh’s award-winning Off-Broadway play School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play was named “the most important play off Broadway” by Essence Magazine. The Hollywood Reporter calls it an “uproarious comedy that also pulls at the heartstrings.” Nashville Repertory Theatre’s production in TPAC’s Andrew Johnson Theatre runs Thursday, February 10th through Sunday, February 20th, 2022.
School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play follows Paulina, the reigning queen bee at Ghana’s most exclusive boarding school, who has her sights set on the Miss Global Universe pageant. But the 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.
“We are thrilled to be presenting the Nashville premiere of this exciting contemporary piece,” said Drew Ogle, Executive Director of Nashville Rep. “Jocelyn Bioh’s play is ferociously funny, but it also has a lot to say about western standards of beauty and the struggles teen girls face.”
It is entirely appropriate that the play runs during Black History Month, and this production is living Black History. All the players and staff are Black.
“When presented with the opportunity to direct School Girls, there was no way I could say no,” says director Alicia Haymer, making her Nash Rep directorial debut. “Making history in my hometown with a cast of all Black women, and a BIPOC crew was a no brainer to me- especially if I want diversity to be the rule, and not the exception. I also believe it’s important for audiences to experience a world outside of themselves; that’s how we grow. Although School Girls focuses on these specific students in a specific decade, I believe it touches on topics we can all relate to. If you’ve ever felt like you didn’t belong, that you weren’t good enough, or that you didn’t have enough, this story is for you. If audiences leave with a different perspective, then we’ve all done our jobs.”
The cast is led by Joy Pointe as Paulina and her rival Ericka played by Tosha Marie. The rest of the cast includes Carli Hardon, Kortney Ballenger, Tamiko Robinson Steele, and making their Nashville Rep debuts Valicia Browne, Ashley D. Brooks, and Cynthia C. Harris.
The creative team for School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play includes Nashville debut designers, including sets by Josafath Reynoso, costumes by Skyler Glaser, and lighting by Rachael N. Blackwell. The stage manager is Nikkita Staggs, with props by Abigail Nichol, dialect coaching by Jacqueline Springfield, and mental health support provided by Crystal Owens of Red Cedar Psychotherapy.
Following School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play, Nashville Rep closes their season with Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins, April 28 to May 10, 2022. For showtimes and tickets information, visit www.nashvillerep.org or www.tpac.org. For Patron Entry Policy details and updated health protocols, visit TPAC.ORG/PatronHealth.
