ADVANCED FIELD ZOOLOGY FOR BEGINNERS

Playing Dr. Brad Goosebury, Shawn O’Hara is back with his moustachioed deadpan.

Shawn O’Hara’s new monologue, Advanced Field Zoology for Beginners, contains deathless lines, but it’s not quite ripe.

As he did in last year’s Field Zoology 101, O’Hara plays the highly unqualified field zoologist Dr. Brad Goosebury, who delivers absurd wildlife lectures accompanied by hand-drawn overhead projections.

You can’t beat the surprise of the best of O’Hara’s writing. In a tangent about astrology, for instance, he refers to “Leo the lion, the Ford Taurus, and, of course, Slytherin,” And the guy is quick on his feet. In the final section of Advanced Field Zoology, Goosebury takes questions from the audience. Asked, “How do you identify scat?”, he replied, “The easiest way to identify scat is the absence of saxophones.”

Chunks of the show, including the astrology bit, feel too tangential, though. Others, including “Wildlife Cooking with Brad Goosebury” aren’t sufficiently rewarding. And most of the sexual innuendo falls flat.

My guess is that Advanced Field Zoology for Beginners is going to be a whole lot better once O’Hara has had the chance to run it in and work out the kinks.

At the Waterfront Theatre. Remaining performances on September 7 (3:00 p.m.), 8 (7:35 p.m.), 10 (5:00 p.m.), 13 (10:15 p.m.), and 15 (6:25 p.m.)

Tickets