Obsidian Presents SCHOOL GIRLS; OR THE AFRICAN MEAN GIRLS PLAY

Paulina, the reigning Queen Bee at Ghana's most exclusive boarding school, has her sights set on the Miss Universe pageant. But the mid-year arrival of Ericka, a new student with undeniable talent and beauty, captures the attention of the pageant recruiter - and Paulina's hive-minded friends. Jocelyn Bioh's buoyant and biting comedy explores the universal similarities (and glaring differences) facing teenage girls across the globe. How far would you go to be Queen Bee?

"Shadism. Colonialism. Capitalism. Beauty. Class. In the minds and mouths of teenage girls, these systems of societal control become weaponized. These young women are whip smart, feel deeply, and can be brutal power brokers in the commodity of friendship." - Mel Hague, Artistic Associate, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre

New York Times Critics' Pick | Nominated for 4 Lucille Lortel Awards and 4 Drama Desk Awards

Featuring Akosua Amo-Adem, Allison Edwards-Crewe, Melissa Eve Langdon, Bria McLaughlin, Tatyana Mitchell, Natasha Mumba, Rachel Mutombo, Emerjade Simms

Set Design - Rachel Forbes | Costume Design - Joanna Yu | Lighting Design - Michelle Ramsay | Sound Design/Composition - Reza Jacobs | Head of Wardrobe - Chantelle Laliberte | Head of Props - Vanessa Janiszewski | Stage Manager - Emilie Aubin | Assistant Director - Tawiah Ben M'Carthy | Assistant Stage Manager - Ada Aguilar | Dialect Coach - Ausar Stewart | Production Managers - Alanna McConnell and Rebecca Vandevelde

Obsidian is Canada's leading culturally specific theatre company. Our threefold mission is to produce plays, to develop playwrights and to train emerging theatre professionals. Obsidian is passionately dedicated to the exploration, development, and production of the Black voice. Obsidian produces plays from a world-wide canon focusing primarily, but not exclusively, on the works of highly acclaimed Black playwrights. Obsidian provides artistic support, promoting the development of work by Black theatre makers and offering training opportunities to emerging Black artists.

As Canada's foremost feminist theatre, Nightwood provides an essential home for the creation of extraordinary theatre by women. Founded in 1979, Nightwood Theatre has created and produced award-winning plays that have garnered Dora Mavor Moore, Chalmers, Trillium and Governor General's awards. The company is helmed by Artistic Director Kelly Thornton and Managing Director Beth Brown, whose leadership has received public acclaim for artistic excellence, the successful training and development of emerging female talent, and its ongoing activism around gender equity.

TICKETS: $15-$40 - available in person at the Buddies in Bad Times Theatre box office (12 Alexander Street), at 416-975-8555, or at buddiesinbadtimes.com. For more information, please visit obsidiantheatre.com.

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