I went to EstroFest's performance at Blackfriars last weekend without any intention of reviewing the show. I went for laughs, just for my own entertainment. But after watching the local all-female comedy troupe, I couldn't resist sharing my take. EstroFest is a riot, and the group has just two more dates coming up this weekend as part of Blackfriars' "Hot Summer Nights" theater series (a brilliant idea, by the way). Don't miss out on this uproarious show.

The EstroFest troupe features some familiar faces, like WHAM Channel 13's Norma Holland, TYKEs founder and local actress Freyda Schneider, writer-actress Allison Roberts, and George Eastman House PR maven Dresden Engle, as well as two promising new ones, Marlena Gaby-Dater (a junior musical-theater major at Nazareth College) and Andrea Holland (an entrepreneur and marketing professional). All of the EstroFest members are very, very funny, and the group's performances are a mix of well-rehearsed sketches, video projects, and improv comedy.

The sketches are the strongest part of the show, typically featuring over-the-top takes on observational humor. "Fasten Your Seatbelts," in which airline stewardesses revel in the fact that nobody pays any attention to what is said over an airplane intercom, is especially topical given recent developments on that notorious JetBlue flight. "The Mother Moose Show," which underlines how truly horrifying classic fairytales are (really, giants making bread out of bones?) is a gut-buster, and I just about lost it during "The Bridal Fashion Show Revisited," which brilliantly mocks an archaic cultural tradition I didn't even know existed.

A few of the sketches use audience participation, which typically gives me hives, but here worked out beautifully, since poor Monroe Community College communications professor Tom Proietti got dragged up on stage both times. (Confidential to Tom: never say, or do, anything when improv comedians ask for volunteers from the audience. Even an innocent, supportive remark can get you into trouble. Like the T-Rex from "Jurassic Park," they are attracted by any kind of movement. Remain completely quiet and still!) Proietti was a great sport, and both bits - "The Mating Game," in which Norma Holland puts, well, just about everything out there, and the very smart bit "Alter Ego" - were highlights of the show.

Small tweaks could improve some of the already funny segments. "Old Testament Divas I & II" is a great idea and contains some smart insights - the section concerning Naamah, Noah's wife, is especially sharp. But both monologues go on a bit too long, and the Eve section especially relies on too-easy jokes (the punchline about the snake is obvious to anyone paying attention). On the video front, the recurring "Shut Up SWAT" concept has a good idea - a team called in to shut down obnoxious, verbose coworkers, friends, and party guests - but the payoff is never as funny as the set up. The first one in particular could also use some tightening up, brevity being the source of wit. (The rest of the video pieces, however, are fantastic, and very clever.)

Every member of the troupe has a moment to shine. Nothing will ever erase the sight of Engle tottering out during the bridal fashion show, dazed look in her eyes, dressed in a pink gingham dress with a wire coat hanger dangling precariously from the tulle she's swathed in. It's a great physical comedy moment, and her timing is flawless throughout the show.

Gaby-Dater is a rip as the bedazzled scrapbooking aficionado in "The Mating Game" (fun times!). Andrea Holland nearly steals the "Mother Moose" bit as the wacked-out gingerbread sidekick with a penchant for whiskey and descriptive signs, and she shares amazing chemistry with her real-life sister in "One Too Many" and the bridal show. Norma Holland is a revelation as both the handsy host of "The Mating Game" and the smart-talking lawn jockey in "On the Lawnfront"; if that TV-news thing doesn't pan out for her, she's got a future on the stage. Roberts is a master of body language and understatement, producing huge laughs while saying nothing at all during "Mating Game," "Bridal Show," and in the videos "Cougar Kit" and "Toughgirls.com." And Schneider does great, immersive character work in "Old Testament Divas" and "Bubbe and Leah."

Each edition of EstroFest features a male guest star, and B. Anthony Gibson brought the Y-chromosomes the night I saw the show. He was charismatic and game for anything, and ultimately just seemed like another member of the troupe. Upcoming guest stars include Rick Staropoli (August 13) and Kevin Sweeney (August 15).

EstroFest continues through August 15 at Blackfriars (795 E Main St, 454-1260, blackfriars.org), and tickets cost $20. After that the troupe will return with all-new material sometime in 2011.