Mean Girls Jr. was a show I initially said I’d never produce. How could a show like that possibly work with middle school actors? As it turns out, these kids were made for this show. They shine like stars!
It wasn’t until a few girls in my musical theatre class sang a segment of a song from the show as part of their musical pitch project that my mind was opened to what this show could look like as the RTC middle school musical. I read the script again and sought other perspectives; we talked about what the show means and why it would be great for our kids right now. What is it about this show that made them want to do it so badly?
This Junior version of the show really allows us to sink our teeth into the real issues present in the story that middle school students face every day – bullying, fake friends, changing yourself to fit in. Many of us at Robinson, including me, are military kids. Cady may not be a military kid, but she sure knows how one feels – moving from a far away place to a strange, unfamiliar landscape and doing whatever she can to make friends and feel accepted. Mean Girls Jr. is a cautionary tale, one that reminds us that we don’t have to change who we are to belong, that just because someone is our friend doesn’t mean we can’t set new boundaries, and that friends don’t have to be forever if they are hurting you. It teaches young women to stand in their power. That we have the choice to change how the world works. That calling someone stupid won’t make you any smarter, and even the people you don’t like at all are still people. And not only that… our Robinson kids are super freaking talented and this show is going to prove that. I can’t wait for you to see what we have created together. I’m sure you heard already, but… it’s gonna be FETCH!
