Wednesday, October 18 2000

In the great tradition of improv comedy performers who are migrating here from far and wide, Shaun Landry visited in February as an artist-in-residence at both Stanford University and Bay Area Theatresports and -- bam! -- she was sold. Tonight the members of her newly relocated Chicago troupe, Oui Be Negroes -- all six of them, now bona fide Bay Area residents -- give the SF premiere of the sassy sketch show Absolute Negritude.

"We pride ourselves on doing every form of sketch comedy known to man right now," says Landry, artistic director and wife of the company's "token white boy," Hans Summers. "There's not a lot of black people doing improv." Hence, Oui Be Negroes' new minority exchange program, starting soon. In the meantime, expect to see wannabe improv artists of all colors onstage during the show's interactive second half. "Anybody who is bold enough to play with some black folks can come up and join us," Landry says.

Absolute Negritude opens tonight and then plays Fridays and Saturdays at 10:30 p.m. through Oct. 28 at the Bayfront Theater in Building B of the Fort Mason
Center, Third Floor, Marina & Buchanan, SF
Tickets are $12; call 474-8935 for reservations.