All that backstabbing, bullying and bad behavior on stage during Brooks School’s production of “Mean Girls?” Pure inspiration for the actors — in real life.

While promoting the musical, about a teen struggling to fit in a socially vicious high school world, the cast and crew took that toxicity and turned it inside out, spreading messages of compassion and inclusivity on campus in a literal “Kindness Campaign.”

Firetrail Theatre performed “Mean Girls: High School Version” in the Center for the Arts from November 14 through 16. (The musical was based on the 2004 comedy about navigating popularity and friendships in high school [screenplay by Tina Fey] that was transformed into a stage musical, which then inspired a new musical comedy movie that premiered in theaters this January).

Brooks' "Kindness Campaign" kicked off with social media, posters and announcements in all-school meetings as the cast and crew issued challenges to students throughout the week of the musical’s run, which coincided with World Kindness Week:

• Perform random acts of kindness
• Show your solidarity by wearing a clever “Kindness is Fetch” pin (riffing off of a joke in the film)
• Spread messages of inclusivity on painted rocks
• Share words of encouragement and praise for classmates and teachers on a huge bulletin board by the theater to create a “Kindness Wall” for all to enjoy.

With these initiatives, the show’s ultimate message advocating for inclusivity and compassion made an impact felt beyond the time spent in the theater each performance. 

“Cheap, fake, easy to break / That's how I used to be / Here, take it, now I'm awake / I'll tell you what I see / Plastic don't shine, glitter don't shine / Rhinestones don't shine the way you do / You are so real, you are so rare / I see you there, I see you … You are so beautiful … I will look out for you / We'll light each other's way /  You're all stars.”

Excerpt from “I See Stars” song in "Mean Girls"

“The show looks fun and funny, but there's a lot of serious concepts within it,” said Director of Theater Meghan Hill. “These characters are not acting with integrity. And so what we're hoping is that students can take away, What would be a better choice there? Why and how would different choices have made things play out differently?

All those hilarious, scene-stealing ditzy jokes and rap weren’t just comedy gold. “Those gems are hopefully a way to engage people in a conversation,” said Hill. 

"The satire of the comedy creates more of a willingness to have a talk than if this was a two-hour drama," she explained. "...I think all the all the concepts that we're getting at would be a lot harder to sit through in that scenario, especially for teens. They might feel like they're being talked down to, or they have to come and learn a lesson, whereas this, they're digesting it because of their peers and because it is funny.”

The laughs, the sweet kindness gestures are “ways to use that tool [of the “Mean Girls” musical] to say, enjoy the show, and also, can we think about it in a bigger way?” 

Emilie Pratt '25 grew up watching the movie, then the musical, before starring in it at Brooks (above on right).

"I had never given much thought to how the show translates to my own high school experience until I played Karen," she said. "Mean Girls showed the Brooks Community an exaggeration of how high school really is, but an exaggeration is not a total lie. So many students have their own insecurities and problems that are only known to themselves. The Kindness Campaign ... really helped people remember that they are loved within this community."

Her favorite campaign initiative was the wall filled with notes of compliments. She said, "The feeling of finding yourself on there, but also seeing others' feelings showcased in such a heartwarming way brought joy to everyone." 

Acting Head of School Nina Freeman called the production “outstanding,” in her letter to parents on November 22. “The talent of both cast and crew were on display and the quality of the performance rivaled professional productions.”

See a photo album from the sold-out, three-night run of "Mean Girls" on brooksschoolphotos.com.