Fringe Day 6, Part 3 - August 11, 2004, 5:30pm

In Defense of Sin (My Friends' Best Stories)
The Ministry of Cultural Warfare
Intermedia Arts

Even when the Ministry isn't 100 percent, it's still about 200 percent funnier than most shows floundering around out there.

I loved half this show. The other half, not so much.

There were four stories which made up the hour. Stories one and three were great. Stories two and four were kind of a letdown.

Few groups integrate video into a performance as well or better than the Ministry. This show is no exception. Snazzy credits and very funny introduction from a sleep-deprived (but when is he not?) Matthew Foster to get the show off on the right footing. The other real life subjects were less amusing that Matthew, but that's to be expected. They never planned on being taped and put on stage. The stage reenactments are what make up the bulk of the show.

Story one - Matthew Foster's evening at a dive bar inadvertantly being a guest at the birthday party for the queen of the Denver KKK was laugh-out funny - the Ministry at its best. The talented ensemble was at its best here. Funniest line, among many many funny lines - "If you don't vote for George W. Bush, you'll give Jesus AIDS."

Story three - The tale of Matthew's friend/fellow blogger/Visible Fringe artist Kate and her life-threatening brain aneurysm - and its embarrassing proximity to her use of a vibrator - was also a hoot. Both the portrayal of Kate and her mother were hysterically funny. Apparently now that it's been a successful stage show, and her family accidentally invited themselves to come see it, Kate has one fewer secret to keep from her family. And just in case they missed it this time around, it's being remounted.

Story two - Friend Lesley's brief fling with a Kurdish rebel leader on the run from the law is funnier in concept than execution. There are a number of funny lines, but the story keeps us at an emotional distance that doesn't allow us to invest in the fates of the characters in the same way we do in the more successful stories. As a result, for me, it was less funny and less satisfying.

Story four - The show unfortunately ends on the low note of friend Mike's run-in with a violent street gang of Thai go-go dancers. Again, the emotional distance, and here even the thread of the story was pretty frayed and hard to follow. I got the feeling I should have enjoyed the physical comedy of Mike's beating, but I really didn't.

But like I say, half a great Ministry show is so much better than a whole show from nearly anyone else, and certainly funnier. I guess my advice would be to end on a high note. After all, if you end well, your audience will forgive you anything.

And, as ever, I await the next opus from Foster and company most eagerly. Lord knows we all need a laugh.

If you weren't lucky enough to catch the show at the Fringe, watch the Ministry website - www.mocw.org - and perhaps also the Fringe site - www.fringefestival.org - for news of the remount of In Defense of Sin (My Friends' Best Stories).

(For more of my writing - plays, past blog entries and more - visit www.matthewaeverett.com)