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Skip SNL and see it live.

Monday Apr 11, 2005.     By Dennis Mahoney

Theater Feed

If you should find yourself bored on a Saturday night this April and are looking for fun away from your usual bar-hopping routine, grab your pals and head to Second City for a double-bill sketch comedy show that would even give the folks on "Saturday Night Live" pause.

First up is the African American co-ed team Straight & Nappy; she has straight hair and his is, expectedly, nappy. The two quickly light up the stage with a scene about a revival inside a local shopping mall, complete with dancing, singing and testifying. These two aren't afraid to use their loud, booming voices while performing. What makes Straight & Nappy interesting is the fact that both do scenes on his and her own, including a heartfelt monologue on depression that helps to add depth to the show.

It is enjoyable to see an African-American duo on the stage at Second City; it seems that Chicago, while a center of sketch comedy and improvisation, has noticeably lacked a strong presence of such performers on its stages. Straight & Nappy work well together, and hopefully this run will allow others to see their skills.

Real-life husband-and-wife-team Melissa Cathcart and Jay Olson make up the second half of the double bill. The standout sketch of their tight, energetic show is a presentation of "Every Movie Ever Made in Under Four Minutes." And believe me, you see it all, from "King Kong" to "Rocky" to "Reservoir Dogs," complete with action, impersonation, toy props and the two performers darting from one side of the stage to the other. While I didn't time the scene, it is the fastest four minutes I think I've ever witnessed.

Other highlights include syncing make-out music and mood lights with action in one scene where an elderly couple decides they're going to "get it on" despite the laborious task of taking it all off at an advanced age (dentures, Depends, wigs, toupees).

Both compact shows offer viewers a trip out of the mundane and into something original and fun. When the general abyss of Saturday night's TV schedule and the prospect of another mundane bar routine don't excite you, a trip to Second City to see these witty pairs could provide the comic relief you need at the end of a long week.

Donny's Skybox Studio; 1608 N. Wells (Piper's Alley); (312) 337-3992; $10. Through April 30; 9 p.m. Saturday