What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/1328956
LARA JO HIGHTOWER NWA Democrat-Gazette T he New York Times called Jocelyn Bioh's "School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play" a "gleeful African makeover of an American genre." With its opening this week at TheatreSquared, audiences in Northwest Arkansas and beyond — the show will be streaming — will have the opportunity to see the funny, biting and ultimately impactful play that, says Bioh, was inspired by a news item about Ghana recruiting an American- raised, biracial young woman to represent the country in the Miss Universe Pageant. "I wanted to explore the standards of beauty across the globe, because I think they're more universal than some might think," says Bioh of the play, which addresses the subject of colorism — discrimination against those with darker skin tones within groups of the same racial or ethnic backgrounds. "From the opening scene of 'School Girls' through the Epilogue, Bioh has brilliantly and boldly examined the issue of the worldwide standard of beauty along with how, by whom, when, where and why it has been and is determined," says the show's director, Vickie Washington. Washington, says the online arts and culture blog Art and Seek, is "not just a mainstay but a foundation in Texas theater" as an actor, director and educator who has started and led two Black theater companies. "Through their adolescent eyes and voices, these girls in Ghana, West Africa, clearly recognize that lighter skin and long hair are the ticket to fame and beauty. For me, what makes Bioh's work so brilliant and so delicious is how she couches these very serious observations and conversations in the laugh-out-loud dialogue and antics of these teenage girls." "It's amazing how many different ways we get to see Bioh bring this theme to life in 'School Girls,'" says Amira Danan, who plays Ericka, the young woman who moves to Ghana from the United States. Danan is a Chicago-based actor who has appeared in productions at Steppenwolf and Goodman Theatre. "Before Ericka even comes into play, we see the girls associating their ideas of beauty with their weight, their love lives and even what kinds of access they have to a fashionable wardrobe, makeup, hair products, etc. "Later on, Bioh focuses on colorism as it relates to beauty by bringing Ericka into this world, and we begin to explore the ways in which hair texture and skin tone inform these ideals. "Finally," Danan continues, "Bioh allows us to zoom out even further as the girls tune into the Miss Global Universe Pageant. Here, they witness the way women across the globe are judged by their proximity to European standards of beauty. Here, they learn that Ericka's passing privilege, though it may elevate her in the eyes of the former Miss Ghana, is not enough to elevate her above white competitors in the eyes of the judges." JANUARY 17-23, 2021 WHAT'S UP! 3 FAQ 'School Girls; or the African Mean Girls Play' WHEN — Jan. 20-Feb. 14 WHERE — Streaming from TheatreSquared COST — $20-$35 INFO — theatre2.org See T2 Page 4 COVER STORY 'Mean' With A Message T2's 'School Girls' considers color, beauty and self "Working on this play has only reminded and re-inforced the notion that we never leave high school," says director Vickie Washington. "That, throughout our lives, particularly as women, we are always confronted with those conflicts both with ourselves and often with each other. And while it highlights how petty these things can be, they are very real and relevant to how we build a sense of self and relationships with each other. What it has informed me about, though, is how important it is to truly uplift and complement each other. As people, we all have insecurities, be it in our physicality, talents, backgrounds, etc. But those things shape who we are and how different we are. And they all deserve to be acknowledged and celebrated. Not judged and held against us." (Courtesy Photo/Wesley Hitt for T2)