Jocelyn Bioh's 'School Girls' Explores Adolescent Dynamics and Societal Pressures

Jocelyn Bioh, the playwright behind "School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play," recently shared insights into her work, humorously noting that her characters could outshine the infamous Regina George. This acclaimed play, which premiered off-Broadway in 2017, is set to reopen at the Samuel J Friedman Theatre on September 28. It chronicles the experiences of vibrant boarding school students as they prepare for the 1986 Miss Ghana pageant. The narrative unfolds as Paulina (played by Denée Benton), the ambitious leader, strives for the crown, only to face an unexpected challenge from Ericka (Jasmine Amy Rogers), a new student from the United States with lighter skin and a keen sense of American trends. Ericka's arrival disrupts the established social order, setting the stage for a lively exploration of class distinctions, colorism, and individual character.

Bioh's personal history, deeply rooted in her mother's attendance at Ghana's Aburi Girls Boarding School during the 1980s, inspired the play's setting. A playful anecdote from an early draft, where Bioh inadvertently revealed her mother's past as a "mean girl" in a playwright's note, adds a charming layer to the work's origin. Bioh's own boarding school experience at Pennsylvania's Milton Hershey School, known for its diverse student body, further influenced her desire to portray the unique dynamics of young women living together without parental supervision. She likened the unsupervised environment to a "Lord of the Flies" scenario, emphasizing the inherent drama and complexities that arise.

Bringing this revival to the stage involved a collaborative effort between Bioh and director Whitney White, who previously worked together on Bioh's play "Jaja's African Hair Braiding." White, drawing from her own college experience as a classically trained singer navigating a cliquish environment, infused the production with her perspective on finding one's path amidst social pressures. Both Bioh and White are multi-talented artists, excelling in singing, composing, acting, writing, and directing, which contributes to their holistic approach to theater. Their shared ability to defy categorization allows them to bring diverse artistic facets to their plays, ensuring a comprehensive creative vision. Their collaborative process is characterized by a multimedia communication style, involving humorous memes, direct messages, and voice memos, which White playfully noted would reveal their non-criminal, yet highly communicative, nature if ever intercepted.

Introducing "School Girls" to American audiences in the 2010s presented its own set of challenges, as many initially struggled with the concept of African comedy. Bioh strategically added the subtitle, "Or, The African Mean Girls Play," to provide context, though she occasionally regrets it when audiences mistakenly attribute it to Tina Fey's "Mean Girls." The play features humor that, in its initial run, often involved Paulina's cruel teasing of Nana (Erin Morton) about her weight. However, Bioh observes a significant shift in audience reception for the revival, noting that contemporary viewers are more empathetic towards Nana, reflecting a broader societal change in recognizing beauty in all forms. This evolution in audience understanding, despite the play's anachronistic humor and Paulina's harshness, reaffirms Bioh's conviction that comedy can be a profound means of addressing serious issues, allowing audiences to connect with characters' journeys on a deeper level.

As the narrative progresses, the arrival of Eloise Amponsah (Patina Miller), a former Miss Ghana, escalates the stakes. Her ambition to find a candidate capable of winning not only Miss Ghana but also Miss Universe forces the young women to confront the biases and demands of a world beyond their school and country. White eloquently articulated that Paulina's struggles extend beyond mere social politics; she grapples with the profound question of how her skin color influences her perceived worth in the world. By the play's conclusion, all the characters gain a transformed understanding of their place in the world and how society values them. This deeper exploration of identity and societal valuation elevates "School Girls" beyond a simple tale of adolescent rivalry, presenting significant obstacles that resonate with universal questions of self-worth and recognition.