Ernie Burroughs cares about one thing: being funny. His dad was in the humor business before hanging up the mic to become a teacher. His grandparents had storied careers as clowns. And his mom-who died the day he was born-still visits occasionally to keep him company. After graduating high school, Ernie devotes his days to posting videos of his act online, waiting to get discovered. When his dad insists he either go to college or get a job, Ernie offers a compromise: he’ll join a youth theatre group. His dad agrees under one condition: he cannot quit. Ms. Reddy, the theatre’s charismatic director, instantly senses something special about Ernie and casts him as the lead of her upcoming “group-devised” production. Ernie is thrilled until he realizes the play will be about a school shooting and he will be playing the shooter. He tries to give up the role, but Ms. Reddy assures him he was chosen for a reason. Emboldened by her confidence he agrees to stay, aiming to turn the play into a comedy. Throughout the rehearsal process, Ms. Reddy and the group push Ernie through demanding psycho-dramatic exercises designed to help him connect with his character. Gradually, the play infects his life, his mind and his relationships. He grows suspicious of the world around him, believing that something sinister behind the scenes is manipulating him toward an inevitably violent end.