The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe

 Reviewed by Julia Stier

Center Theatre Group (Mark Taper Forum) in association with The Shed

Through October 23

I wanted to love The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe. I was so ready to be obsessed with it. As an avid fan of  SNL veteran Cecily Strong (the actor in this solo show), I had nothing but the highest expectations.

Unfortunately, while I was entertained by the show – written by Jane Wagner and directed by Leigh Silverman – it didn’t quite land for me.

I’m aware that I am in the minority here. The Drama Desk Awarding-winning play garnered its original star, Lily Tomlin, a Tony for Best Actress in a Play in 1986 in a performance that adapted into a movie in 1991. The show has a long and illustrious history, and – on this I will agree with the acclaim – serves as a brilliant showcase for any actress skilled enough to take it on.

Strong starts off as, well, strong, in her portrayal of Trudy, an earthling who is helping aliens understand humans. She tries to teach them the difference between various human concepts, sometimes to no avail. A prime example being when she introduces her extraterrestrial colleagues to a can of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup, labeling it “soup,” and then comparing it to Andy Warhol’s famous painting of the same image, labeling that one “art.”

Strong doesn’t stay as Trudy for long, going on to play a plethora of characters – a standard device used in one-woman shows. And she presents them beautifully, adopting specific postures and vocal patterns in such a way that, even when she portrays three women talking at rapid-fire speeds in the same scene, you can always tell which character is speaking. However, what remains disconcertingly opaque is why she is playing all of these different characters, or why we were getting such an intimate look into their lives.

And to make matters more confusing, there is talk about jumping around in time, yet all of these characters from these different vignettes reference each other. Trying to track the “rules” of Trudy’s travels took me out of the story and its trajectory.

However, despite these qualms, Strong is captivating. Her technique is impeccable – paired with Jeff Gardner’s carefully coordinated sound  – as she mimes all of her various props, and her command of the stage is undeniable.

Mark Taper Forum, 135 N Grand Ave, Los Angeles; Tues. – Fri. 8 pm; Sat., 2:30 & 8 pm; Sun., 1 6:30 pm; thru Oct. 23; https://CenterTheatreGroup.org; Run time about an hour and a half, with no intermission.