[inline photos by Kaylee Jiang]
This year’s spring musical, Mean Girls, brought one of the most recognizable high school stories to the Branson stage, combining musical numbers, sharp humor, and a message about friendship and belonging.
With three months of rehearsals behind them, the cast and crew delivered a three-night run that had the audience laughing and dancing in their seats. Co-director Louisa Conte said the musical stood out as both entertaining and meaningful.
“We chose Mean Girls because we believe it’s an accessible way for our community to open discussions about how we treat one another,” Conte said. “Also, it’s incredibly fun!”
Because the story is so well known, both from the original movie and Broadway musical, the production started with a familiar foundation.
“I think this story resonates with students because they know the story,” Co-director Maura Vaughn said. “What the show does well is take something we all experience in a high school situation and make it larger than life, and we can laugh at ourselves even as we see the story reflect who we are and what we go through.”
At the same time, Vaughn said the show touches on deeper issues many teenagers face today.
“I think this is a particularly difficult time to be a teenager,” Vaughn said. “Sometimes it’s difficult to recognize that other people might feel as left out or challenged as you do. It’s my hope that in telling this story, that people recognize that we’re all human and we’re all going through very similar things.”
For graduating performers such as Maddie Jefferson ’26 who played the role of Cady Heron, the rehearsal environment played a big role in shaping the final production.
“Stepping into such a culturally recognizable role like Cady has been exciting and a little intimidating since so many people already have a strong idea of who she is,” Jefferson said. “It’s been a really interesting challenge to make the character my own while still honoring what people know and love about her.”
She also highlighted how the collaborative rehearsal environment helped bring the cast together as the show developed.
“The environment during rehearsals has been incredibly supportive and high-energy,” said Jefferson. “Everyone is so committed, and there’s a really strong sense of community within the cast.”
For many cast members, the final weeks of preparation–especially tech week–were when the show began to feel like a complete production.
“In the last few weeks we’ve definitely seen the music come together and actually become more of a production,” Sierra Kuehn ’28 said. “You see a lot of the work that we’ve been doing pay off.”
The true heart of the show was the community cast and crew members made while preparing the show. They hope other students will consider joining the musical in future years.
“I encourage whoever is thinking about doing the play to try it out,” London Mullarkey ’27 said. “And stay tuned for our next show.”
