Meet the Mean Girl

Less than a year after graduating, Reneé Rapp is back in high school. She’s the newest actor to step into the high heels of Regina George, the meanest girl in Mean Girls on Broadway. But unlike her costars, Rapp is a teenager just like the character she plays. “I just got out of high school,” Rapp says. “It doesn’t feel like much of a stretch.”

Actor Reneé Rapp graduated from high school less than a year ago. But now she’s heading back. She’s playing Regina George, the meanest girl in Mean Girls on Broadway. Most of Rapp’s costars are older than she is. But Rapp is a teenager, like the character she plays. “I just got out of high school,” Rapp says. “It doesn’t feel like much of a stretch.”

Rapp’s first musical performance was as an orphan in Annie at a theater in Charlotte, North Carolina. From there, she grew to love musical theater and performing. In 2018, she competed in the Jimmy Awards, a national competition for high school theater. Rapp won Best Performance by an Actress for her role in her high school’s production of Big Fish.

After the Jimmys—and graduating from high school—Rapp began auditioning for the role of Regina George. The process took about five months. Once she learned she’d landed the role, Rapp got to work. She studied the script to get to know her character. She also attended rehearsals for three weeks. Rapp briefly played Regina over the summer and came back full-time in September.

Rapp started acting as a kid in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her first musical performance was as an orphan in Annie. That sparked her love of musical theater and performing. In 2018, she competed in the Jimmy Awards, a national contest for high school theater. She was judged on her role in her high school’s production of Big Fish. She won Best Performance by an Actress.

After graduation, Rapp started auditioning for the role of Regina George. The process took about five months. But she landed the role!

Rapp got to work. She studied the script to get to know her character. She also attended rehearsals for three weeks. Rapp briefly played Regina over the summer to learn the ropes. Then she came back full-time in September.

Rapp grew up loving the 2004 movie that the musical is based on. In Mean Girls, Rapp’s character Regina is the most popular girl in school—and she doesn’t let anyone forget it. The main character, Cady, tries to become close to Regina and her friends so she can expose them for the bullies they are. Playing such a mean and manipulative character is a challenge for Rapp. “She doesn’t really treat anybody with respect, so I leave the show every night wanting to be nicer to people,” she says.

For Rapp, live theater is about connecting emotionally with the audience. “The cool thing is that when you’re acting, you’re giving everyone else all of your emotions, so other people who are in the room are able to experience that with you,” she says. “That’s my most happy state. It’s the most powerful thing in the world.”

The musical is based on a 2004 movie called Mean Girls. Rapp loved it when she was growing up. In the movie, Rapp’s character, Regina, is the most popular girl in school. But she also bullies her fellow students. The main character, Cady, tries to become close to Regina and her friends. She wants to expose them for the bullies they are. Rapp says that playing such a mean character is a challenge for her. “She doesn’t really treat anybody with respect,” Rapp says. “So I leave the show every night wanting to be nicer to people.” 

Rapp loves live theater because she gets to connect emotionally with the audience. “When you’re acting, you’re giving everyone else all of your emotions, so other people who are in the room are able to experience that with you,” she says. “That’s my most happy state. It’s the most powerful thing in the world.”