Jocelyn Bioh's Critically Acclaimed Play Returns
Nominated for Outstanding Play at the 2018 Drama Desk Awards
After a smash hit run last winter Jocelyn Bioh's critically acclaimed play returns this fall. Once again directed by Tony winner Rebecca Taichman, School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play will once again explore the hilariously catty and cloistered life at a prestigious private boarding school in 1985 Ghana. When the beautiful but malicious queen bee Paulina harbors desires to enter (and win) the Miss Universe pageant, she finds competition from an unlikely newcomer to her outrage.
Before heading back to New York, the production will open the Center Theatre Group's 2018/2019 season in Los Angeles.
About Jocelyn Bioh
First produced by The Lark Theater as part of The New Black Fest initiative in 2016 to celebrate artistic voices within the black community, Bioh's work seeks to explore stories within the black experience that doesn't fall into the same stereotype of poverty, hardship or struggles. Of her decision to write the play, Bioh said,
"However, not everything is, you know, is war and struggle and strife. And so, I thought I would add to the conversation." Her previous works include
African Americans, Four, Nollywood Dreams and an upcoming new musical called The Ladykiller's Love Story, for which she co-wrote with rap artist Cee Lo Green. She also appeared in the Broadway production of the National Theatre's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.