Jocelyn Bioh’s “School Girls” extends its Broadway run: two extra weeks after opening night

Jocelyn Bioh’s highly anticipated Broadway debut with the play School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play has received a new extension: as Playbill reports, Manhattan Theatre Club announced a two-week extension of performances, and the production will now run at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre until November 15. The news comes immediately after opening night, held on September 28, which was received with high praise from theatre critics.

Set at the Aburi Girls’ School in Ghana in 1988, the play follows a group of schoolgirls obsessed with the upcoming beauty pageant, until the arrival of a transfer student from America makes the contest even more complicated. The work had its world premiere Off-Broadway by MCC in 2017 and has since become one of the most beloved plays of American regional theatres. The current Broadway version is directed by Whitney White.

Alongside Tony winner Patina Miller, the cast includes Jasmine Amy Rogers as Ericka, Denée Benton as Paulina, Erin Morton as Nana, Nia Otchere-Sarfo as Gifty, Jordan Rice as Mercy, Heather Alicia Simms as Headmistress Francis and Lucia Aremu as Ama. Bioh, a Tony nominee and author of Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, sees her return to the Broadway stage with a success that is now being extended even further, beyond initial expectations.

The creative team includes set design by Teresa L. Williams, costumes by Qween Jean, lighting by Stacey Derosier, sound by Cody Spencer and wig, hair and makeup design by Nikiya Mathis. Full performance schedule details can be found on the official Manhattan Theatre Club website.