TheatreSquared's SCHOOL GIRLS: OR, THE AFRICAN MEAN GIRLS PLAY Begins Streaming This Week

TheatreSquared presents, in a brand-new production, the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway comedy, School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play by Jocelyn Bioh streaming online January 20.

Winner of the 2018 Lortel Award for Outstanding Play, in School Girls, "the nasty-teen comedy genre emerges wonderfully refreshed and even deepened by its immersion in a world it never considered" (CRITICS' PICK-The New York Times). It's 1986, and Paulina is the reigning queen bee at Ghana's most exclusive boarding school, and has her sights set on the Miss Global Universe pageant. But the arrival of Ericka, a new student from Ohio with undeniable talent and beauty, captures the attention of the pageant recruiter-and Paulina's hive-minded friends. This buoyant and biting new comedy, twice extended in its acclaimed New York debut, is sweeping the nation's stages, and has become a cultural phenomenon.

"This play looks at larger, human issues, nestled in a comic setting," said director vickie washington. "I am passionate about telling stories of the African Diaspora because they are so vibrant, rich, powerful and funny-and I am embracing the opportunity to create this show with such a level of cultural specificity at TheatreSquared."

"Since performances were suspended in March, we've streamed five brand new plays via Zoom and filmed four full productions at the theatre for more than 30,000 audience members in Northwest Arkansas and across the world," said Martin Miller, Executive Director. "Still, it remains an incredibly challenging moment to be doing this work. The opening of School Girls is a testament to the hard work and talent of an amazing team of artists, and we are deeply grateful to them."

Access School Girls starts at just $20, and can be purchased online at theatre2.org or by calling 479.777.7477.

Playwright Jocelyn Bioh is a Ghanaian-American playwright/writer/performer from New York City. Her plays include: African Americans (Ruby Prize Finalist 2011); Nollywood Dreams (The Kilroys' List, 2015); the musical, The Ladykiller's Love Story, which features music and lyrics by CeeLo Green; and most recently, Happiness and Joe, a romantic comedy. She was a staff writer on season two of Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It for Netflix and wrote an episode of the Netflix show Russian Doll. Ms. Bioh also has a distinguished stage career, having appeared in Off-Broadway or regional productions of In the Blood, Everybody, Men on Boats, An Octoroon, and Bootycandy. She also appeared in the original Broadway cast of the Tony Award-winning play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.