“While this show isn’t inherently about the vileness of men, I do consider the piece a sparkly little jar of female rage. :)”
WHO: Alice Stanley Jr.
WHAT: “Two best friends struggle to process surviving a school shooting that is overshadowed by a much worse school shooting on the same day. A dark comedy about America’s traumatized, despondent, yet somehow hilarious youth. Developed with hundreds of students, teachers, and survivors whose gallows humour helps them cope with the United States’ gun violence epidemic. Written by former US public school teacher Alice Stanley Jr and directed by Riley Rose Critchlow. ‘Captivating, provocative, inspiring’ (Executive Producer Adam McKay – All the Empty Rooms, Succession, The Big Short, Step Brothers).”
WHERE: Baby Grand at Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33)
WHEN: 12:45 (60 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
I actually had the mindblowingly lucky opportunity to be in a Fringe play when I was just 18. That experience opened my eyes to what art can and should be. I still remember every single weird show I saw. I was totally taken by how even odd, poorly-funded plays in crummy spaces could impact audiences as much as the “prestige” productions. So The Second Best School Shooting premiering at Fringe is a real full-circle moment for me.
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2025 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
Keeping it light, I think a lot of us have learned that the men who run the world are even more selfish and vile than we’d previously thought. And I’d previously thought the men who run the world were pretty selfish and vile. So, hats off, vile men! You surprised even me!
Have I fully absorbed this lesson yet? I’m not sure. I’m probably, like many women, still a bit in shock. But I am also very angry. And I feel more determined than ever to explore/express that anger. While this show isn’t inherently about the vileness of men, I do consider the piece a sparkly little jar of female rage. 🙂
Tell us about your show.
I first wrote this show in 2022, inspired by my experiences as a United States public school teacher. My goal was to create something for and about young people that portrayed how they actually talk about school shootings. I noticed the way adults, even our politicians, discussed school shootings was “respectful”…but often ignorant, considering my students mostly processed their dread with dark humor.
As you can imagine, a comedy about school shootings isn’t the easiest commercial sell! A dozen or so premieres heartbreakingly fell apart over the years due to political roadblocks or producers simply getting cold feet. Finally, producer Jessica Green Harrison (Holler If Ya Hear Me) got hold of the script, loved it, and suggested debuting at Fringe–with literal distance from the inherent American taboos of the piece. Adam McKay (The Big Short, All the Empty Rooms), a longtime champion of the show, agreed. It felt like a nuts dream come true when Alison Zatta (Chriskirkpatrickmas, Beth Wants the D) and Hollywood icon Matthew Lillard, who related to the piece as a father of Gen Zs, hopped on too.
Of course, I’d love The Second Best School Shooting to find more life post-festival. Because I’ve developed the piece with hundreds of students and survivors, I know it (tragically) relates to almost every young person in the US. So I am hoping to find regional opportunities for the show, including but also beyond big cities like NYC and LA. That said, commercial viability aside, this project is first and foremost meant to serve young people. I intentionally wrote the script so underfunded actors could reasonably self-produce the show, and I currently allow for royalty-free educational productions.
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
I’ve got to shout out the improvised musical Baby Wants Candy for some good old-fashioned stupid fun. I’ll be sneaking away from my playwright post and occasionally popping onto shows with them throughout the fest.
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