Review: Merrimack Repertory Theatre Makes THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE Worth Joining

If you’re a fan of “The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe,” then Lily Tomlin likely comes to mind whenever you think of the show.

Indeed, the one-person comedy was written for the brilliant Tomlin by her longtime partner and now wife, Jane Wagner. The show opened on Broadway in September 1985, with Tomlin taking home the 1986 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.

Tomlin headlined pre-Broadway and national tour stops at Boston’s Wilbur Theatre in 1985 and 1989, before making a feature film of the play that was released in 1991. Tomlin also starred in a 2000 Broadway revival. Two years ago, Tomlin and Wagner mounted a short-lived production at New York’s The Shed, this time starring Cecily Strong of “Saturday Night Live” fame.

And now through October 20,  Merrimack Repertory Theatre is giving the play another voice, opening its new season with the gifted actor Kathryn Van Meter in the starring role. And when it comes to “The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe,” that means many roles.

As the show opens, we meet Trudy, an offbeat homeless woman pushing a baby carriage full of her belongings and what she finds along the way. Trudy readily admits to being close with “space chums” who help her make sense of the earthbound people who surround her.

Under the thoughtful, well-paced direction of Courtney Sale, MRT’s artistic director, Van Meter commands the stage in a performance that is compelling, heart-wrenching, strong, and sympathetic in equal measures. In the first act, you can almost hear the voices in Trudy’s head struggle to be heard and, thanks to David Remedios’ excellent sound design, you can also hear the static they create.

Wagner’s talent as a wordsmith is evidenced by a stream of clever lines and asides. At one point, Trudy explains that “Humanity’s a good, workable idea, but then you’ve got human behavior to deal with.” And later, she notes, “I always wanted to be somebody, now I realize I should have been more specific.” When Tomlin delivered these and other now-classic lines, Trudy seemed to be really wondering what she should think. Van Meter’s delivery, however, is often more one of bemusement.

There are about a dozen different characters – from Agnus Angst, an aptly named teenage runaway, to a bored and sickly socialite and a pair of prostitutes – whom Van Meter imbues with specific nuances that keep each interesting and distinct. Yao Chew’s array of costumes pieces, including a crocheted vest, rumpled everyday wear, and umbrella beanie, add to the proceedings.

The second act trims back to focus primarily on Lyn, a married woman whose husband sees himself as a feminist while neither helping around the house nor remaining faithful to his wife. It takes time for Lyn to see the truth about him, despite having said “Bob is the truest feminist I’ve ever met. He’s the only man I know who knows where he was when Sylvia Plath died.”

That line got big laughs at MRT’s recent press night, indicating that 2024 audiences are still well aware of the late poet and short-story writer. But the printed program’s two-page glossary of “Who’s Who” and “What’s What” – brief bios of everyone from G. Gordon Liddy to Geraldine Ferraro, and background on Pepsodent, Howard Johnson’s, Bataka Bats, and more – makes clear that not everything mentioned in the 1985 play remains well known today, especially to younger audiences.

Van Meter – whose capacity for memorization is impressive – keeps things moving even when the script’s dated references and the sense that many of the issues that had Wagner and Tomlin worried almost 40 years ago have long since been either partly resolved or moved past weigh the action down..

Some references needed no glossary inclusion, however – most notably the still omnipresent Post-it notes that burst onto the scene in the early 1980s. Scenic designer Adam Baacke cleverly pays homage to the signature bright yellow post-its to create an unfurling, sun-like semicircle around the set, which is further decorated with stacks of over-sized pastel post-its.

Photo caption: Kathryn Van Meter in a scene from “The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe.” Photo credit: Meg Moore, MegPix.

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