Maybe Mom was right when she used say it was impolite to talk about politics or religion with strangers - no matter how nice a person is trying to be.

Although well acted, well produced and at times hilarious, the Black Hills Community Theatre's current production, "The Bible: The Complete Word of God (Abridged)," was not able to transcend the more offensive elements of the script written by the Reduced Shakespeare Company.

Although the script itself said that it was not the intention of the show to poke fun at any religious group that considers the Bible to be a sacred text, the nature in which the show deals with the Bible - as the subject of irreverent and, at times, less than tasteful sketches - does suggest that it is silly to consider the Bible sacred.

These suggestions come throughout the show, and the result is to impugn those with belief systems built on the contents of the Bible. For example, at one point, characters called it an "oxymoron" that anyone could be a Christian scientist. At another, they suggested the Bible is sexist, that it says women are just around to support their husbands.

The show also took moments to poke fun at certain political belief systems - again, just in an attempt to get a laugh. However, the result was to upset half of the audience.

Beyond the content being upsetting, many of the scenes within the show simply went on far too long. For example, had the scene written about Noah's ark been half as long, it would have been twice as funny.

It is unfortunate that the community theater had to build their show on such an unstable and volatile foundation, especially considering the fact that it was clear the amount of talent and effort that the actors and technical staff had put into it.

The show featured three talented actors - Mikal Kraklio, John Heuerman and Ingrid Johnson - who each sang, danced a bit, played musical instruments and saved the show with their charisma, teamwork and delightful comedic timing.

That the group performed as such a cohesive unit is a credit to the efforts of director Jan Swank.

The rest of the technical staff shined as well - several were even able to insert their personal senses of humor into the piece.

Musical director Molly O. Dailey used familiar music to conjure comedic juxtapositions, and the result was chuckles from the audience. Costume designer Chris Lee outfitted the actors in attire to inspire laughter. Adam and Eve came out wearing red long johns - with leaves attached to the appropriate places.

Overall, the show had several hilarious moments, but these were overshadowed by the negative messages embedded in the text.

If you go

Who: Black Hills Community Theatre

What: "The Bible: The Complete Word of God (Abridged)" by Adam Long, Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor

Where: Hotel Alex Johnson, 523 Sixth St., Rapid City

When: May 2 - 18. Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m.

Tickets: Adults, $18; seniors and military, $16; students, $11. Group rates are available. Call 394-1786 for information and reservations or go to www.bhct.org.

Rating: PG-13. Although the show has no nudity and mild language, the subject matter is at times adult, and the innuendo is overt.