Jocelyn Bioh's "School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play" is a 75-minute Broadway production that captures the complexity of Black girlhood within the specificity of 1986 Ghana. Directed by Whitney White and set at a girls' boarding school, the play explores themes of colonialism, anti-Blackness and colorism whilst balancing humour with heartbreak, offering a portrait of sisterhood and the struggles faced by young Black women.

The narrative centres on Paulina, the school's queen bee who faces a threat to her dominance when Ericka, a new American-Ghanaian student, arrives at the boarding school. As the girls compete for the Miss Ghana pageant, deeper truths emerge about each character's insecurities, including Paulina's reliance on skin-bleaching creams, Nana's self-diminishment due to her larger body, Gifty's hidden dyslexia and Ericka's undisclosed secret. The production features standout costume design by Tony Award winner Qween Jean and a cast including Denée Benton as Paulina and Patina Miller as pageant recruiter Eloise Amponsah.