School Girls

The African Mean Girls Play

Presented by: UC Santa Cruz Theatre Arts Department in collaboration with the African American Theatre Arts Troupe and Cultural Arts and Diversity Resource Center

Playwright: Jocelyn Bioh

Directed by Don Williams

Jocelyn Bioh’s award-winning comedy follows a group of schoolgirls vying for the title of Miss Ghana 1986. Pretty, popular Paulina is the queen bee of the Aburi Girls Boarding School, but her reign is threatened when the pageant recruiter is more interested in Ericka, the new transfer student from Ohio with a “more universal and commercial look.” Inspired in part by the real-world controversy surrounding the 2011 Miss Universe Ghana pageant—where a fair-skinned, American-born woman went on to win the title—School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play is an exploration of colorism and teenage ambition that’s “funny and fast-paced...[with] bouncy, juicy dialogue” (Vulture). 

“It’s joyful, it’s youthful, it’s heartbreaking!

A special performance for MPC is scheduled for Saturday, March 6th at 7pm. There will be a live introduction to the show and a talkback immediately following the evening performance.  Please visit the UCSC Cultural Arts & Diversity website at -CADRC.ORG

For more information call (831) 646-4290 or email lwalker@mpc.edu

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Click here to view the play

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