From the Beacon: Mean Girls Will Be Totally Fetch!
Colin Harkins ’23
Get in losers, Shipley’s Spring Musical is Mean Girls! In November, the Theater Department announced that this year’s musical is Mean Girls, a modern adaptation of the classic movie from 2004. The show follows Cady Heron as she navigates high school and its social challenges.
Surrounded by a cast of iconic characters, Cady is forced to find a way to fit in while trying to find herself in the process. The songs are catchy, the dance numbers are over-the-top, and the quotable catchphrases are infinite — essentially, it’s a must-watch.
After its successful run on Broadway, the show has finally become available for schools across the country, with Shipley being one of the first to stage the production. With over 50 students vying for the chance to portray iconic characters like Regina George and Janis Ian, the mid-December auditions saw one of the largest turnouts in recent Shipley memory.
Like always, students were cast in either the Main Cast or the Understudy Cast as a lead role or in both casts as a supporting character. Typically, seniors dominate the Main Cast, but with only a few participating this year, underclassmen deservedly filled many roles. Notably, the three “Mean Girls” — Regina, Karen, and Gretchen—are played by two juniors and a sophomore. (Avery Rehl ’24, Lola Troiano ’25, and Riley Medina ’24, respectively). Janis Ian, another lead part, is played by a Junior, Izzy Goldstein ’24. Other major roles such as Damian, Cady Heron, and Aaron Samuels are played by me, Caroline Kaye ’23, and Andrew McCarthy ’23, respectively.
Some may see Mean Girls as a controversial musical choice, as its dialogue and themes push the line of what’s traditionally deemed “school appropriate.” However, the content of the script is reflective of modern-day teens: we can be crude, rude, and flat-out evil, and it may be refreshing for audiences to watch a production that doesn’t shy away from the reality of high school. The dialogue also makes the show more enjoyable for the actors and actresses who feel more connected to their roles than ever before. Members of the cast find themselves relating to the emotions and experiences of their characters in ways that not many musicals can provide.
Mean Girls is set to be one of the most memorable moments of this school year. Student Government is already planning ways to boost anticipation for the performances, which run March 2 - 4. With the largest cast and most recognizable musical selection in years, Mean Girls has a lot to live up to. If you ask me, I’d say Mean Girls will be totally fetch!
This year’s Upper School Spring Musical is Mean Girls, a modern adaptation of the classic movie from 2004. Shipley theater star and Beacon writer Colin Harkins ’23 tells us why audiences should be excited to see the show March 2-4, 2023 in Riely Theatre.
Shipley’s theater program is excited to announce that it will partner with Broadway Green Alliance, a corporation that tries to bring more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices into theaters all around the country. Read more in this article originally published in the Beacon student newspaper.
With over 70 clubs and activities to choose from, Shipley's Upper School students can enjoy a broad range of areas to discover and develop their passions and interests. Student writer Andrew McCarthy ’23 shares details about six of them in this article, originally published in the December 2022 issue of the Beacon, the Upper School student newspaper.
Originally published in the May 2022 issue of the Upper School student newspaper, The Beacon, this article shares insights from All School President Griffin Chulik ’22 about his student government experience and some final thoughts as he departs from the Shipley community and prepares to head off to college in the fall.
Acorns to Oaks has been a tradition the Shipley community has celebrated for decades. Bringing together not only the oldest and youngest students in the School, but also their families and the community as a whole. After COVID forced disruptions in the traditional celebrations, families of Oaks & Acorns were invited onto campus to participate in the first Acorn & Oak festivities of the 2021-2022 school year.
The Shipley School is a private, coeducational day school for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students, located in Bryn Mawr, PA. Through our commitment to educational excellence, we develop within each student a love of learning and a desire for compassionate participation in the world.