SCHOOL GIRLS; OR, THE AFRICAN MEAN GIRLS PLAY Opens at The Hangar Theatre This Month

The Hangar Theater has announced the beginning of the 2022 Mainstage Season with the regional premiere of School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play. After several wildly successful productions Off-Broadway, this thought-provoking comedy by Jocelyn Bioh will receive two preview performances Thursday, June 15th at 7:30pm and Friday, June 16th at 7:30pm before opening night on Friday, June 17th at 7:30pm on the Covered Outdoor Stage at the Hangar Theater.

Winner of the 2018 Lucille Lortel Award for Best Play and the 2018 Drama Desk Award for Best Ensemble, Jocelyn Bioh's School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, is a hilarious comedy that references the Tina Fey film in its subtitle, depicting the adolescent social structures and cafeteria gossip of a circle of friends at the Aburi Girls Boarding School in Ghana.

Queen Bee Paulina is intent on representing her school in the Miss Ghana 1986 pageant. Her dedicated clique at the Aburi Girls Boarding School is rooting for her until newcomer Ericka, recently immigrated to Ghana from the United States, enters the competition. The play reflects universal high school questions about friendship and identity while investigating specific themes of colorism and the impact of Western beauty standards on black people worldwide.

"What stood out to me about School Girls was how exquisitely crafted the ensemble work is," commented Hangar Theatre Artistic Director Shirley Serotsky, "--we truly get to know each of the eight memorable characters in the play in deep and specific ways. It's funny, and honest, and so astute in its depiction of adolescent relationships and social structures. It's especially exciting to open the re-designed Hangar outdoor space with this play. The story is set in a courtyard cafeteria at the Aburi Girls' School in Ghana, Africa. The design team has been very inspired by images of the actual school, which reveal a setting that is both interior and exterior--perfect for the new tented space."

School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play will be performed on The Hangar Theatre Covered Outdoor Stage running Wednesday, June 15th through Saturday, June 25th. Upgrades to the 2022 outdoor venue include heightened and re-graded ground to improve drainage and accessibility, a 30-foot high pole tent that covers the stage and audience area and protects both from the elements, a thrust stage built out into the audience for a closer experience with the performance and brand new padded seating. Audiences will be intimately involved in the action of this award winning and acerbic comedy.

Lydia Fort directs the Hangar production of School Girls which stars Ciara Stroud as Ericka Boafo and Devin Kessler as Paulina Sarpong. Also appearing are Morgan Williams, Sarah W. Simmons, Alaysia Duncan, Ciara Stroud, Starnubia, LaTonia Phipps*, and Shiro Kihagi*. Carley Robinson is understudying.

Joining Fort, the creative and production team includes Set Designer Czerton Lim, Sound Designer David Lamont Wilson, Lighting Designer Aja Jackson, Costume Designer Danielle E. Preston†, Production Stage Manager Christine M. Swartwout*, Accent and Dialect CoachElisa Gonzales, Song Coach Elbonee McLaurin, Production Assistants Mark Osgood and Casey Boriskie, Casting Director Michael Cassara, Cultural Consultant Yao Foli (ChaCha), Production Manager Adam Zonder and Artistic Director Shirley Serotsky.

School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play runs from June 15th-25th. Seats are limited, and available while supplies last. Student discounts and Pay What You Will tickets are available at every performance in 2022. Learn more or buy now at https://hangartheatre.org/event/school-girls-or-the-african-mean-girls-play/.

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