Jocelyn Bioh’s play “School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play” recently opened at Manhattan Theatre Club’s Samuel J. Friedman Theater, bringing a sharp, comedic exploration of adolescence, identity, and colorism to a Broadway stage. Set in 1986 at the Aburi Girls’ Senior High School in Eastern Ghana, the production blends humor with social commentary, examining the complex dynamics of a competitive boarding school environment through the lens of a beauty pageant.

Directed by Whitney White, the play introduces audiences to Paulina, portrayed by Denée Benton, the self-assured leader of her social circle and the school’s reigning queen mean girl. Paulina’s confidence is bolstered by her admiration for American pop culture, especially the influence of 1980s U.S. music and style, which symbolizes an ideal of glamour and status for the girls. This sets the stage for the play’s exploration of the tension between local identity and foreign influence.

The story unfolds as Paulina prepares to compete for the Miss Ghana pageant with the endorsement of the school’s headmistress, played by Heather Alicia Simms. However, the arrival of a new student, Ericka—played by Jasmine Amy Rogers—disrupts the established order. Ericka, who is actually from the United States and noticeably lighter-skinned than the other students, quickly draws attention. A Miss Ghana recruiter, Eloise (Patina Miller), praises Ericka’s “universal and commercial look,” a moment that highlights the play’s examination of colorism and its impact within Ghanaian society.

Bioh’s narrative, inspired by the real-life experience of Erica Yayra Nego—a multiracial Minnesotan whose candidacy for Miss Ghana sparked debate in 2011—and her own mother’s time at Aburi boarding school in the 1960s, underscores that colorism remains a persistent issue across decades and continents. The play gradually shifts from sharp comedy to a more chilling reflection on these social hierarchies and the lengths to which characters go to conform or resist them.

The Broadway production benefits from White’s direction, which often places actors facing the audience, intensifying the delivery of punch lines and heightening the theatricality appropriate for the venue’s large scale. The ensemble cast, including Lucia Aremu, Jordan Rice, Nia Otchere-Sarfo, and Erin Morton, supports the narrative with nuanced performances that balance humor with moments of emotional gravity.

Rogers’ portrayal of Ericka stands out for its complexity, capturing both vulnerability and defiance, even as the character exits the story earlier than some might expect, leaving certain narrative threads unresolved. Meanwhile, Benton and Rogers engage in a climactic musical moment featuring a humorous, vocally intricate competition that draws on ’80s pop iconography, reflecting the characters’ struggle for status and recognition.

“School Girls” combines elements of comedy, satire, and drama to illuminate the pressures of adolescence and the social constructs surrounding beauty and race. Its Broadway staging amplifies these themes, offering a vivid and at times unsettling portrayal of the influences shaping young lives in contemporary and historical Ghana.