When the Performing Arts department announced the Winter Musical 2023 would be “Mean Girls,” the Manhattan High thespians got to work on the show inspired by the 2004 movie. The Thespians version of “Mean Girls” was held on Feb. 16, 17 and 19 to an audience awaiting to be fulfilled.

In the show, Cady Heron, and her many friends explore what it’s like to be a “plastic” in high school by disguising Cady as one. Janice, played by senior Tirzah Kohl, and Damian, played by junior Michael Jund, narrate the show as a “cautionary tale.”  Cady soon finds out that the school’s massive deal, Regina George, is as plastic as they come and Cady becomes determined to dethrone the queen bee when Regina starts dating the guy she likes, Aaron Samuels, played by senior Strider Medaris. 

“It’s so fun,” junior Aaliyah Nance said of her performance as Regina. “I couldn’t ask for any better role. It’s a great opportunity and I wouldn’t pass it for anything.”

 Nance was challenged “It was hard getting into character because I consider myself a good person,” Nance said. “It was hard but it was fun.” 

Since “Mean Girls” represents so many caricatures of cliques and clubs, the case struggled to get that many people together for rehearsals.

“We had conflicts here and there,” Nance said. “But overall people still came together when they needed to and it turned out to be a really good show.”

Other than While the main storyline was Cady, played by senior Sophia Evangelidis trying to overthrow Regina as the “apex predator” it’s also a story about Cady’s love for the boy that sits next to her in AP Calculus. Although the AP Calculus teacher, played by Olivia Payne, learns that Cady is intentionally playing stupid so Aaron can seem smarter than her and is determined to let Cady shine with her stupid love persona.

“It’s such a fun experience,” Payne said. “There’s so many great people so you just get to make a lot of friends and you get to create a storyline and that’s my favorite thing to do.” 

Payne was extremely excited getting to play Ms. Norbury,

“I thought it was really fun, especially when she gets accused of being a drug pusher,” Payne said. “I liked being a teacher. I’m currently in AP Calculus so that was kind of interesting getting to teach that on stage.”

“Congrats to everyone because everyone is doing really well right now,” Nance said.