Aaron Gingrich and Mychal Utecht, aka sketch-comedy duo Competitive Awesome, have stretched out a bit from the crisp but conventional funny of The Story of Joseph King. This makes for rougher sailing, but if less of the material works, more of it goes beyond well-oiled gagsmanship. Some sketches remain earthbound, like a riff on Jesus and Joseph, while others are promising but don’t deliver, like a Lewis and Clark bit that inexplicably (albeit hilariously) saddles the pair with outrageous French accents. But the stuff that hits–particularly a love triangle with laugh track starring two deaf-mutes–strikes a balance between surreal fancy and mercenary punch line while highlighting the duo’s great strengths: peerless comic rapport and impeccable timing. Through 12/16: Thu-Fri 10:30 PM. Apollo Theater studio, 2540 N. Lincoln, 773-935-6100. $10.
