Special to SF GATE
Beth Lisick
2002

Watching Second City comedy veteran Shaun Landry play a drunk ho on a mission to get every guy at the party into the bathroom is reason enough to check out the latest show by sketch group Oui Be Negroes. Called "Pigmeat Markham Thanks For Everything Spike Lee," the show is a combination of deft stabs at social and political situations, with a little history and some all-out screwiness thrown in for good measure.

Most impressive, truly, is that all five Negroes are incredibly accomplished actors. From Jivoni Jordan's powerhouse preacher to Hans Summers' eerily real baby, Stan Stone's cocky partygoer ("I mean, behold my blackness!"), Ronnie Ray's tremendous presence no matter what he does and the whip-smart Landry, OBN are real theater pros.

Even if a joke doesn't fly, it's a pleasure watching someone with great physicality and a beautiful voice who looks like they was born for the stage.

And when you go, don't be afraid to make some noise. The group uses a lot of improv, and the sparks they got from the audience last Friday night only made their bits better.

"Pigmeat Markham Thanks For Everything Spike Lee" runs Fridays and Saturdays through February 9 at Spanganga, 3376 19th St.