One non-local talent, thru many characters, searches for intelligent life at Harlequin

I was fascinated by Harlequin Productions’ choice to present a solo show without local talent. I must assume they felt the piece would draw audience members, satisfy subscribers, and was timely and important to present. They were correct.

Terri Wegeant and The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe are exactly where they need to be at the moment. The piece was originally written by Lily Tomlin and her longtime partner Jane Wagner, and Tomlin won the 1986 Tony Award for Best Actress with her performance. What does a play from the 1980s have to share with us today, and what do we bring to it? The subtle updating was well done, creating a place that could exist now.

If we are “all in this together,” the character of Trudy is Everyman. She introduces herself as a bag lady, something we accept coming from her. Grating, perhaps alienating at first (the volume of the sound overall felt deliberately loud), once you are accustomed to her raspy voice and nerve-jangling pace, Trudy offers so much truth it is hard to deny her. Instead, we take the ride with her.

She’s waiting on the corner of Walk/Don’t Walk in New York City for her Space Chums to return and continue their investigation. They are looking for intelligent life on Earth. Trudy is their chosen human assistant, and it becomes clear that despite her many eccentricities, she might be the most intelligent individual we meet all night. What is most revealing is that for the show to work we must see ourselves as/in Trudy, and by the end of the evening we’re happy to do so.

Signs is well-written and deftly performed; it would have to be to accomplish what it does. When you feel like things are meandering, you are slammed back with another moment of transformation. So much information is imparted you wonder how she will ever pull it all together—a feat Ms. Wegeant carries off tidily. By the end, she is holding all the threads and weaves them together in a way that should remind us just how like life theater is, and how the purpose of theater can be to hold a mirror up to us as individuals. This evaluation is tough but it is what makes us more than simple human animals—the “thumb of our soul,” if you will. After all, we’re just tiny specs in this vast universe, a wonderful and terrifying thought.

A note on curtain speeches: I’ve waited backstage through some excellent, excruciating, hilarious and embarrassing curtain speeches and the most successful are always those that serve the performance to follow. I use that as my guide in making them. Concise (short), polished (rehearsed) and to the point (short) should be the rule. In the tone of the show is nice, but always keeping in mind what the cast will have to do to make their show go in your wake.

Two Cents: Signs is an exploration of who we are as humans then, now, always. Outstanding performances by Terri Wegeant and Harlequin’s talented technical staff combined with clean direction from Keira McDonald creates an entertaining and thoughtful piece of theater. ◙

The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, presented by Harlequin Productions, runs Thursdays thru Sundays until February 15 at the State Theater. More information at
www.harlequinproductions.org.