When the curtain rose on the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in early October, the audience discovered a striking reversal: Jocelyn Bioh, the Tony-nominated playwright of School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play, was not behind the podium but in the spotlight. Wearing a crisp cream costume, she embodied Eloise Amponsah, the sharp-tongued scout tasked with finding Ghana’s next Miss Global Universe representative. The role, set in the cafeteria of Aburi Girls’ Boarding School in 1986, gave Bioh a chance to voice the yearning she wrote for the character: “I want for once in my life to finally be seen.”
It had been nine years since Bioh last performed onstage, yet the transition felt oddly seamless. She recalled that, moments before her first line on Friday night, “I felt no nerves.” The comfort likely stemmed from the fact that the production she was joining was her own creation, a rare circumstance that allowed her to merge writer’s insight with actor’s instinct. The weekend’s cast included Tony nominee Jasmine Amy Rogers, Gilded Age alumna Denée Benton, and Tony winner Patina Miller, who had to miss several shows to run the New York City Marathon.
A backstage reversal: Bioh steps into her own script
Patina Miller’s temporary departure sparked a quick solution from director Whitney White, a fellow multihyphenate who had previously helmed Bioh’s Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. White suggested Bioh fill the vacancy, noting that the playwright had “been trying to get me back onstage for quite a long time.” Although Bioh usually declined acting offers, she admitted that the prospect of performing her own material on Broadway was “an offer you can’t pass up.” With only one dialect session and a single rehearsal before the October 9 debut, Bioh entered the production with confidence, leaning on a supportive ensemble that cheered her off-stage after each scene.
The story behind School Girls and its Ghanaian roots
School Girls draws direct inspiration from a 2011 Miss Ghana controversy, when an American-born, lighter-skinned contestant entered the competition, prompting heated debates about colorism and cultural authenticity. Bioh wove that real-world scandal together with the structural comedy of Tina Fey’s 2004 film Mean Girls, crafting an 80-minute romp that explores beauty standards, colonial legacies, class divisions, and the diaspora experience. The play’s setting—a 1986 cafeteria at Aburi Girls’ Boarding School—mirrors the author’s own family history; Bioh’s mother attended the same institution, while the playwright herself spent formative years at a scholarship-based boarding school in Pennsylvania.
The narrative follows a clique led by queen-bee Paulina Sarpong (Denée Benton) and the arrival of biracial Ohio transfer Ericka Boafo (Jasmine Amy Rogers). Their rivalry over the coveted Miss Ghana title escalates into comedic chaos, highlighted by a rousing rendition of Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All.” Each supporting character—confident Ama, shy Nana, bookish Mercy, and class clown Gifty—receives a spotlight moment, reinforcing the play’s theme that “every Black person has not lived the same life.”
The cast, the production and the limited run
The entire ensemble consists of Black women, each delivering nuanced performances that balance humor with pathos. Bioh’s Eloise, a former Miss Ghana 1966, brings a ruthless edge reminiscent of Regina George, demanding visibility from the girls she evaluates. Despite the intensity, Bioh emphasizes that the characters are “multifaceted and strangely universal,” reflecting her own boarding-school memories and broader African diaspora narratives. The production, produced by MCC and now revived by Manhattan Theatre Club, runs through November 15, with a live stream of the final week scheduled from November 10 to 15 for audiences unable to travel to New York.
Behind the scenes, Bioh faced typical stage-craft hiccups—an earring slipped off on opening night, a necklace followed suit the next—yet she handled each with practiced professionalism. The experience has reignited speculation about future acting pursuits, although she remains noncommittal, noting, “I don’t know about acting in my own stuff. Never say never.” Regardless, her return to the stage underscores a broader truth: the blend of playwright and performer can illuminate stories that might otherwise stay hidden.
