Though his critically acclaimed solo comedy outing, Black Humor, proved only a modest success in its 1998 run at Off-Broadway's Cherry Lane Theatre, comedian Lewis Black is returning, briefly, to live theatre as a more widely-known commodity. A regular on Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show," Black will do a one-night special at OB's Second Stage Theatre, April 30.

"Monday Night Live with Lewis Black" will no doubt trade on the angry comedian persona Black has been using for several years. As the Richard Kornberg press office puts it, Black is "easily the most indignant and exasperated man in America." He's also been called one of the funniest.

Black's 1998 show played an extended run of 10 previews and 46 regular performances at the Cherry Lane. The comic, at one point a Conan O'Brien regular, specializes in topical and political comedy, satirizing America as "The Land of the Ridiculous." Themes in Black Humor included Christmas vs. Chanukah (including a rant against dreidels), and an idea for a bizarre new cable network.

A Yale School of Drama grad, Black is the author of more than 40 plays, including The Laundry Hour, staged at the Public Theatre with Mark Linn-Baker.

For tickets and information on "Monday Night Live with Lewis Black," call (212) 246-4422. The show plays on an off-night for Second Stage's current revival of Crimes of the Heart, which opens April 16. — By David Lefkowitz