Alice Stanley Jr. Comedy 'The Second Best School Shooting' Debuts Off-Broadway

Breaking news to your phone. US mobile only. No password required.

Broadway + NYC

Broadway

Off-Broadway

Off-Off Broadway

Cabaret

Dance

Opera

Classical Music

West End / UK

International

Canada

Australia / New Zealand

Europe

Asia

Latin America

Africa / Middle East

Entertainment

Ctrl + K to open · Esc to close

Directed by Riley Rose Critchlow and starring Rachael DeBoer and Shaylaren Hilton, the play follows two teenagers processing a school shooting.

Most Popular

Get all the top news & discounts for Off-Broadway & beyond. No password required.

Direct from its sold-out five-star Edinburgh Fringe World Premiere, the new dark comedy play THE SECOND BEST SCHOOL SHOOTING will make its Off-Broadway debut in a two-night limited engagement, co-produced by SoHo Playhouse.

Get all the top news & discounts for Off-Broadway & beyond.

Written by former Chicago public school teacher Alice Stanley Jr., the play follows two teenage best friends who struggle to process a school shooting that is overshadowed by a much worse shooting on the same day. Stanley Jr. developed the piece with hundreds of students, teachers, mass shooting survivors, and the youth-led advocacy group March For Our Lives.

Stanley Jr.'s TV/film writing credits include the teen feminist Netflix movie MOXIE (dir. Amy Poehler ), Busy Philipps ' late night show BUSY TONIGHT (EP Tina Fey ), THE GLAAD AWARDS, and multiple BARBIE animated musicals. She describes her impetus for writing the play, 'As a teacher I found myself developing anxiety from the constant threat of shootings. I realized my students were processing their existential dread in a surprising way-through very dark jokes. Honestly, I appreciated their sick takes. Though their perspectives were disturbing, at least they were honest-while their parents often pretended thoughts and prayers were enough. I wrote this piece inspired by my students' grim, though against all odds, hilariously hopeful views of modern trauma. Nuts as it sounds, laughing about f*cked up sh*t often opens space to actually confront f*cked up sh*t, so we can fix the f*cked up sh*t.'

Executive Producer writer/director Adam McKay (All the Empty Rooms, The Big Short, Don't Look Up, Step Brothers, Anchorman) describes the show as 'captivating, hilarious, timely, smart, deep, inspiring, and provocative.'

March For Our Lives' Executive Director Jackie Corin expressed, 'The Second Best School Shooting is incredibly sharp and funny in a way that stays uncomfortable in the right places. It captures something real about how young people process violence and grief, and the strange, public ways those experiences unfold.'

The production will be a remount of the Fringe run-60 minutes in length, followed by a community talkback with the playwright. As the play was originally written for young people, the production is offering major discounts for youth. Any teen with valid school or personal ID can get $10 tickets with the code TEEN10. Educators and folks under 30 can snag tickets for $22 with code UNDER30. And everyone can get $5 off before October 10 with code EARLYBIRD.

THE SECOND BEST SCHOOL SHOOTING will be presented at SoHo Playhouse October 17th at 3 PM and October 20th at 7 PM. Directed by Riley Rose Critchlow (BETH WANTS THE D, CHRISKIRKPATRICKMAS) and produced by Jessica Green Harrison (Broadway: HOLLER IF YA HEAR ME, DOCTOR ZHIVAGO ) and Matthew Lillard (SCREAM, SCOOBY DOO, CARRIE), in association with Alison Zatta (BETH WANTS THE D, CHRISKIRKPATRICKMAS). Executive Produced by Adam McKay . Tickets available at SoHo's website.

Nominate your favorite local productions and performers before the deadline on October 31, 2026.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON Extends At The Public Through Early December

Video: Sophia Anne Caruso Performs Duncan Sheik’s 'Immured' From MEMOIRS OF AMOROUS GENTLEMEN

THE BLUE VIOLINIST OVER WEST END AVENUE Cast Set for World Premiere

Titus Welliver Joins EPSTEIN ORATORIO at La MaMa

Also text me

When are you seeing ?

Get an Alert Each Time Stephi Wild Writes

BroadwayWorld TV

Breaking Broadway news and show discounts. No password required.

Breaking Broadway news on your phone. US mobile numbers only.

POPULAR

Sign up for announcements and exclusive discounts on tickets to your favorite shows!

© 2026 — Copyright Wisdom Digital Media , all rights reserved. Privacy Policy

Episode

_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/off-broadway/article/THE-SECOND-BEST-SCHOOL-SHOOTING-to-Make-Off-Broadway-Debut-at-SoHo-Playhouse-20260929)._