Review: THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE at St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Jane Wagner’s The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in The Universe premiered on Broadway in 1985. The original production ran for 391 performances and was awarded a Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience.

The original production starred Lily Tomlin, Wagner’s long-time life partner and now wife. Tomlin swept the acting awards that season winning her second Tony, the Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Award for her leading role. Wagner and Tomlin were awarded a special citation for their work by the New York Drama Critics’ Circle.

The play was revived at Broadway’s Booth Theatre in November of 2000 and starred SNL’s Cicely Strong. That revival ran for just under 200 performances closing in May of 2001. It was nominated for both the Tony and Drama Desk Award for Best Revival of a Play.

The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe is a one actor play examining life, relationships, and art on Earth. The play opens with an introduction to Trudy, a kooky bag lady who serves as a medium for extra-terrestrials attempting to understand life on earth. Trudy attempts to explain the complexities of human life to the aliens through a series of vignettes. The audience and the aliens are introduced to eight other women, all portrayed by the same actor.

The current production, now on stage at St. Louis Actors’ Studio, stars St. Louis acting powerhouse Michelle Hand and is directed by Wayne Salomon. Together, Salomon and Hand used a bare stage with a painted cosmic backdrop to place the focus solely on the actor’s characterizations of the nine women featured in Wagner’s script. Salomon places the responsibility for storytelling solely on Hand’s back. Together they’ve collaborated to create distinctive and instantly recognizable characters.

Hand skillfully shifts between characters through changes in vocal tone and physicality. Her embodiment of each unique character appears effortless as she toils alone centerstage for 90-minutes. Hand delivers Wagner’s carefully crafted monologue layered with Salomon’s brisk pacing and blocking. She’s a force, creating eccentric women with idiosyncratic movements and offbeat personalities. Hand captures both the whimsy and emotion in Wagner’s examination of the female species.

This is the third time in as many recent leading efforts where Hand carries the weight of the narrative on squarely on her shoulders. Her outstanding effort here, and her exceptional work in What the Constitution Means to Me and Meet Me at Dawn illustrate how she can carry a story as a singular storyteller. As an actor, Hand is truly chameleonic. She impressively disappears into her characters - watching her work is a treat.

Wagner’s script isn’t as hilarious as expected. It is more mild amusing. Many of the topics, feminism, mental health, failed marriages, meeting societal expectations of women, are still relevant but the story feels dated. Salomon’s staging and the studio’s sound design wisely treat The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe as a period piece.

Patrick Huber’s set and lighting design relies heavily upon shifts in color. His lighting animates and highlights the backdrop, changing hues to establish mood and shift between the characters and their stories. It’s a highly effective use of minimalist design, as is Meredith La Bounty’s simplistic costume design. Trudy’s oversized coat and umbrella hat adds to the character’s imaginative playfulness and eccentricity. The lining of the coat becomes a sight gag that Hand milks in one of the funnier bits in the script.

The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe is worth seeing for the collaboration between director and actor. Hand holds you in her palm for an hour-and-a-half, introducing you to a bevy of offbeat characters who shed light on shared human experience. Wagner’s narrative is subtly humorous with a handful of laughs and a few shreds of reflective melancholic emotion. While well-constructed and performed, the script didn’t meet my lofty expectations stemming from its lauded reputation.

St. Louis Actors’ Studio production of The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe continues at The Gaslight Theater through November 23, 2025. Click the link below to purchase tickets or visit stlas.org.

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