Gabourey Sidibe and Lovie Simone Join the Cast of MCC Theater's SCHOOL GIRLS; OR, THE AFRICAN MEAN GIRLS PLAY

MCC Theater has announced that Gabourey Sidibe and Lovie Simone will join the cast of the benefit performance of School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, which begins rehearsals on December 7. They replace two previously announced cast members: Sidibe replaces Amber Riley, who had a scheduling conflict prior to the start of rehearsals. Simone replaces Wunmi Mosaku, who sustained an injury and is taking time to recover, which is going well.

Written by Burnt Umber Playwright-in-Residence Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Kamilah Forbes (Executive Producer, Apollo Theater; Between the World and Me), School Girls will stream on Sunday, December 13, 2020 at 3PM ET on MCC Theater's YouTube channel. Tickets are available now at mcctheater.org.

Sidibe and Simone will join the previously announced cast members, including Tony, Emmy, and Grammy Award winner Cynthia Erivo (The Color Purple, Harriet), Shahadi Wright Joseph (The Lion King, Us), Ashleigh Murray ("Katy Keane," "Riverdale"), Tony Award nominee Da'Vine Joy Randolph (Dolemite Is My Name, "High Fidelity"), Storm Reid ("Euphoria," A Wrinkle in Time), and Lyric Ross ("This Is Us"). A live talkback with the cast will follow the performance for select ticket holders.

Paulina, the reigning queen bee at Ghana's most exclusive boarding school, has her sights set on the Miss Universe pageant. But the arrival of Ericka, a new student with undeniable talent and beauty, captures the attention of the pageant recruiter-and Paulina's hive-minded friends. This 2018 Lortel Award winner for Best Play and New York Times Critic's Pick explores the universal similarities (and glaring differences) facing teenage girls across the globe. MCC Theater first produced School Girls in 2017, followed by a return engagement in 2018.

Tickets are on sale now beginning at $30 (performance only) and $50 (performance and talkback). Subscribers are guaranteed $5 tickets that include access to the talkback. School Girls will be available on MCC on DEMAND two weeks after the Dec 13th air date and will not include the talkback. Tickets and subscriptions can be purchased at mcctheater.org.