Shear Madness Tickets

Shear Madness is back in session at the Kennedy Center Theatre Lab in Washington, DC, with a packed 2026 run stretching from spring through midsummer. Part whodunit, part stand-up comedy, and part audience participation free-for-all, the show drops you into a chaotic unisex hair salon where a murder has just happened upstairs and the clues are different at every performance. The audience gets to grill the suspects, vote on the culprit, and help the detective crack the case.

 

It has been a Washington institution since 1987 and the longest-running non-musical play in American theater history. The cast sprinkles in rapid-fire topical jokes, which means no two shows are ever the same, whether you catch an evening performance or a weekend matinee. Check the listings below and grab your Shear Madness tickets before your favorite date sells out.

Shear Madness was adapted from the German play Scherenschnitte by Bruce Jordan and Marilyn Abrams and first opened in Boston in 1980. It quickly became one of the most beloved comedies in American theater, with productions running for decades in Boston, Washington, and Chicago, plus tours around the world. The Kennedy Center version has racked up thousands of performances, and the show has been translated into multiple languages and performed in more than 20 countries. It has been named the top comedy hit in the country multiple times by the editors of national theater guides, and it remains a favorite for first-time theater goers, date nights, and tourist visits to the nation-s capital.

 

Explore the listings above to find your Shear Madness seats at every price level. BigStub offers verified tickets backed by more than 20 years of experience and a full 100 percent buyer guarantee, so you can book with confidence.