Patina Miller, Denée Benton & Jasmine Amy Rogers to Star in School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play on Broadway
Full casting and additional creative team members have been revealed for the Broadway premiere of Jocelyn Bioh’s comedy, directed by Whitney White
(Photos by Emilio Madrid and Sergio Villarini for Broadway.com)
What to Know
- Manhattan Theatre Club’s Broadway premiere of School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play begins performances September 8 and officially opens September 28 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
- Denée Benton, Patina Miller, Jasmine Amy Rogers, Lucia Aremu, Erin Morton and more will star in Jocelyn Bioh’s comedy, directed by Whitney White
- Set in 1986, the play follows a group of boarding school students competing for the chance to become Miss Ghana
The complete cast has been announced for Manhattan Theatre Club’s Broadway premiere of School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, written by Tony nominee Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Tony nominee Whitney White. Performances begin on September 8, with an official opening night set for September 28 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.
The production will feature Lucia Aremu as Ama, Tony Award nominee Denée Benton (Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, The Gilded Age) as Paulina, Tony Award winner Patina Miller (Pippin, Sister Act) as Eloise Amponsah, Erin Morton (Heathers The Musical) as Nana, Nia Otchere-Sarfo as Gifty, Jordan Rice as Mercy, Tony nominee Jasmine Amy Rogers (BOOP!, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) as Ericka and Heather Alicia Simms (Purlie Victorious) as Headmistress Francis.
Joining the creative team are Teresa L. Williams as scenic designer, Tony Award winner Qween Jean as costume designer, Stacey Derosier as lighting designer, Tony Award winner Cody Spencer as sound designer, Special Tony Award recipient Nikiya Mathis as wig, hair and makeup designer and Dawn-Elin Fraser as dialect coach.
In this bright, biting comedy, becoming Miss Ghana 1986 would mean fame, fortune and prosperity. At least, that’s what Paulina—the queen bee of Aburi Girls Boarding School—believes. When the pageant recruiter comes to school, Paulina and her crew pull out all the stops. But to their surprise, a new transfer student from America kicks the competition into a higher, far more personal gear.
