"There is no universal funny," says Kurt Runco. "On the other hand, everyone cries like a wounded Iraqi when Old Yeller takes one between the eyes."

Certainly. If comedy audiences were dogs, they'd be rabid bitches. Runco realized this in June 2002, when he co-founded The Waitstaff amid Philly's parched sketch-comedy scene. Ticket sales for the troupe were stagnant at first, but grew steadily as an alternative to the typical Old City blend of progressive house music and spiked mojitos.

"People are tired of the same old entertainment choices and want something different," Runco says. "Add to that the fact that we have a cabaret setting where people can have some drinks and you have an hour of hard-hitting entertainment that leaves people reeling."

Or wretching. One City Paper critic loathed the group's silly, sassy brand of humor. "We're definitely aiming for a younger, hipper crowd — the kind of people who enjoy Chappelle's Show, Kids in the Hall and Strangers with Candy," Runco says.

The Waitstaff's entire cast contributes to the writing process, which grounds the scripts in a variety of political, societal and business issues. But unlike the severed skits of Saturday Night Live, The Waitstaff's ideas converge in a cohesive, uninterrupted sequence of events.

"The sketch that most people have seen in their lives has been on TV, not live," Runco says, "And since theater and improv are already saturated markets, the time is ripe for the little bastard's revolution."

The Waitstaff Sketch Comedy Show, Fri., July 2, 9:30 p.m., $10, The Five Spot, 5 S. Bank St., 215-840-3475, www.thewaitstaff.com.