2nd Best Fest: Stay Funny. Stay Scared. & From the Top

From The Top makes a musical on the fly / Erica Diederich’s one-woman show, “Stay Funny. Stay Scared” explores horror & humor.

The Coalition Theater proudly presents the 8th Annual 2ND BEST FEST—a three-day comedy extravaganza showcasing the best in improv, sketch, and stand-up. Running June 5–7, this year’s festival brings high-caliber acts from LA, Chicago, NYC, Baltimore, Raleigh, DC, and RVA to four incredible venues in Richmond’s Downtown Arts District.

​​Saturday starts off strong! First, From The Top creates a brand-new musical right in front of your eyes – no script, no score, no idea what note comes next! Then Stay Funny. Stay Scared. blends comedy, horror, and personal storytelling in a one-woman show about fear, transformation, and what scares us into laughter

House opens at 5:30PM / Tickets: $15

Limited tickets available at the door!

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From The Top is a completely improvised musical where every lyric, every note, and every dramatic plot twist is made up on the spot—just for you.

Armed with nothing but a single audience suggestion and sheer confidence, our cast will create a brand-new musical from scratch. Will it be a sweeping romance? A high-stakes adventure? A deeply emotional ballad about a sentient loaf of bread? Only one way to find out.

🎭 No script. No score. Just pure musical chaos. 🎭

Come witness the birth (and probably dramatic death) of a musical that will never exist again.

From The Top—because we don’t even know what’s coming next.

CAST: Preston Bradsher, Ben Brown, Liz Davenport, Jonathan Fuller, Casey Searles, Adam Stackhouse, Adrienne Thompson, Josh Wright

Stay Funny. Stay Scared.

A 25-minute fever dream examining the correlation between horror and comedy through characters, storytelling and good ol’ fashion fun.

Erica was an exceptionally terrified child. Then one day, everything changed. She now watches movies like ‘The Conjuring’ and ‘It’ for fun. As it turns out, the connections between horror and comedy are more prevalent than we thought. Come watch ‘Stay Funny. Stay Scared’, her half-hour exploration of all things horror. Laugh at some spooky themed characters and be a part in discovering how to overcome the terror within.

CAST: Erica Diederich, Katherine Coleman

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Located in Richmond’s Downtown Arts District, the nonprofit Coalition Theater is dedicated to creating an inclusive space where laughter connects people. Through performances, classes, workshops, and community partnerships, we help individuals discover their comedic voice and provide a welcoming platform to share it.

Proceeds from 2ND BEST FEST directly support this mission, funding performances, comedic education, and community outreach initiatives.

Learn more at rvacomedy.com and 2ndBestFest.com