Originally conceived and written by Jane Wagner for actress Lily Tomlin, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe is a one-woman play that examines human behavior with wit, humor, poignancy, and candor. Premiered in 1985, the play touches on the feminist movement, social issues, equal rights, and the role of women in family and society. While some content felt a bit outdated, other content is quite relevant today.
Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s production features actress Kathryn Van Meter as Trudy, a self-described homeless bag lady we first meet at the corner of “Walk, Don’t Walk.” Trudy, who quickly admits she has lost her mind, has connected with aliens that are trying to understand humankind. Inside her tattered trench coat, Trudy reveals a colorful collection of post-it notes where she stores data she collects about life on Earth to study with her new-found “space chums.”
Trudy chalks up her road to insanity to stress. “I made some studies, and reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it. I can take it in small doses, but as a lifestyle I found it too confining. It was just too needful; it expected me to be there for it all the time, and with all I have to do— I had to let something go.”
Donned in an umbrella hat that protects her from sun, rain, and muggers, Trudy experiences trance-like moments where she transports us into the lives of 11 other characters throughout the first act. Van Meter’s costume was in three layers, so she could peel off her trench coat to reveal a long crocheted vest when portraying Lyn, Edie, and Marge, three feminist friends from the women’s movement. Van Meter wore a simple tank and loose pants beneath that dressed up with a designer bag for the wealthy socialite Kate, or dressed down into athletic wear as the enthusiastic aerobics fanatic Chrissy.
The set was simple but clever, consisting of several piles of oversized post-it notes in Howard Johnson colors that served as table, chair, podium, automobile, and psychiatrist couch. An accordion of folded post-it notes arched over the stage, reminiscent of the geodesic dome house that activist Lyn builds with her husband, Bob. Aside from some digital sound effects, modest lighting, and a few small props, the play is 2 hours and 15 minutes of non-stop banter from Van Meter who draws you into the intimate lives of each character, fluidly shifting between personalities in a quest to help her extraterrestrial friends try to understand human behavior.
Certainly a behemoth role for any actress, Van Meter performed effortlessly, switching between characters with just a simple change of voice or position on stage. Through a series of monologues, Van Meter delivered clever anecdotes and one-liners, progressing from businesswoman to mother to troubled teen to prostitute. The audience on Sunday afternoon was somewhat quiet, but Van Meter managed to create a comfortable repartée with the crowd and encouraged us to participate. I found it somewhat difficult to understand the relationship between characters in Act 1, but the interconnection becomes clear in Act 2, as Van Meter effectively weaved their experiences together while narrating from Lyn’s journal. “I worry about playing to a full house…and leaving you empty,” says Trudy, but I believe audiences will be quite satisfied.
Merrimack Repertory Theatre is conveniently located on East Merrimack Street in Lowell. The theater offers free parking at the Immaculate Conception Church lot when there are no events at Lowell Memorial Auditorium, and there is street parking and many restaurant options nearby if you want to make a night of it. The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe runs through October 20. Tickets are available at http://www.mrt.org.
Published October 9, 2024 in The Carlisle Mosquito.
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