Saturday, September 06, 2003

By Anna Rosenstein

What do love, Iraq and rap music producers have in common?

	Second City Where: O'Reilly Theater, Downtown. When: 8 tonight (complimentary happy hour at 6). Tickets: $30-$50; 412-316-1600.

They're all targets of The Second City, the infamous comedy/improv troupe from Chicago that boasts such alumni as John Belushi, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Gilda Radner. It's like the Harvard of improvisational theater.

That should assure you that the current class is some of the best and brightest. Sure, cheesy humor isn't beneath them and not a one will skip a sexual innuendo if the opportunity presents itself. Anything for a laugh. And the laughs come fast and furious with the current tour, "Truth, Justice or the American Way."

Second City's social satire can cut pretty deep, with special attention paid to the country's obsession with security. American politics and the military take their share of hits, and it's all mixed together with improvisational games and plenty of good, old-fashioned, butt-shaking physical comedy.

There are hilarious, unforgettable characters, too, such as the rap group Triple White (Liz Cackowski, Molly Erdman and Bridget Kloss), the incompetent but obsessed Pictionary players (Craig Uhlir and Pip Lilly), and the perfectly understated doctor (Kevin McGeehan) and his kooky and love-starved patient (Cackowski).

Describing the scenes in too much detail would spoil the fun. Besides, many will change with each performance as the group depends heavily on improv and audience participation. In fact, if you're a big ham, request a table in front and you can jockey for your moment in the spotlight. If you're not, sit back and have a good laugh at the guy who is.

It'll be one laugh among many, I promise.

Anna Rosenstein is a freelance critic for the Post-Gazette.

E-mail this story   Print this story