'Search' takes Tomlin to McCarter

What do a homeless woman, a body builder, a neurotic aerobicizer and a rebellious teenager have in common? Lily Tomlin.

Tomlin's schizophrenic one-woman show, "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe," playing at McCarter Theatre through Nov. 5, takes the audience on a journey through the lives of each of these characters as they search for — you guessed it — intelligent life.

The show opens with Tomlin basking in applause, giving the hint that the evening will be nothing but a glorification of the famed actress herself. Yet she slides into character so quickly and seamlessly, it soon becomes clear the show is an imaginative jaunt that harnesses her comedic skills and runs with them.

The show glorifies the actress, but then again, it was written specifically for Tomlin by her and Jane Wagner — who also directed "The Search." We can also forgive the resulting exaltation because Tomlin follows through on her promise of comedy and reflection — her way.

The loosely-constructed plot centers around Trudy, a homeless woman in New York City who believes that "going crazy was the best thing that ever happened to me." Trudy is our guide through the Tomlin universe.

A "creative consultant" to aliens who are looking for the meaning of life on Earth, Trudy's job consists of collecting Post-It notes bearing insights into the nature of life — and wearing them. The aliens combine Trudy's life with the lives of other people, making Trudy a receptor at the mercy of some sort of master alien remote control. If you are sold on this far-reaching premise, you'll be sold for the rest of the show.

The first half of "The Search" frenetically switches among a series of somewhat sad characters, giving us just a glimpse of each of their lives. Tomlin's success as the lone actress in a multi-charactered show lies in her ability to make quick and simple physical transformations to define each new character. For example, she brings Trudy to life instantly with a slight hunch, an old lady's shuffle and a scowl.

Yet Tomlin sometimes stretches too far to establish distinctions. She treads precariously between forming character and forming a caricature.

In the more focused second act, Wagner and Tomlin seem to be trying to remedy the tendency toward chaos and quick caricature in the first. Tomlin spends most of the second half as Lyn, in what could be called a modern woman's coming-of-age story.

Lyn begins as a naive feminist who, after a series of repressive relationships and some Gestalt therapy, ends up with Bob — a hippie with a penchant for sensitivity workshops. Lyn and Bob settle into the feminist dream — success at her job, twin boys, a decent marriage.

The dream quickly becomes the plight of the working woman on the rise: no free time, hyperactive children and a cheating husband. Lyn quips, "If I had known that this is what it would be like to have it all, I would have settled for less."

It is through Lyn's story that Wagner ties up the strings left dangling at the end of the first act. By a measure of "six-degrees" each of the characters from the first act end up tied to one another in the second. They converge on stage — well, actually within Tomlin, since she plays them all — after Lyn's personal triumph to bring the play down a sentimental track.

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The show, which ranges from cynical to silly, takes a decidedly optimistic turn at the end. Trudy takes her "alien chums" in search of something she cannot understand — "the goosebump experience."

In a way, this is a question the performer tosses to the members of the audience, asking them to make sure their theater experience is also a goosebump experience. Though dealing with sappy material, Tomlin's fearlessness as an actor makes one inclined to play along.

This is Tomlin's second time bringing "The Search" to the stage — she and Wagner are reviving the show, which earned Tomlin the Best Actress Tony Award in 1985.

The actress's familiarity with the piece is both a bonus and a drawback. Her ease with the script helps engage the audience from the start, but she also anticipates laughs — occasionally without the expected payoff. There is a lingering sense that the show isn't quite what it once was.

"The Search" is being performed at McCarter in preparation for its upcoming Broadway revival. The McCarter performances will help the creative team work out kinks, which will invariably affect the quality of the show's Princeton run. The show is not without occasional technical difficulties, but Tomlin, a stage veteran, breezes through.

The set and costume design are simple, allowing Tomlin — along with sound and lighting — to take responsibility for setting the stage. The chameleon nature of the performance requires the audience to make leaps of imagination, and the lights and sound are designed to aid the jump.

Flashing lights and electric noises provide the "zapping" effect that marks scene changes and jumps between characters. The physical set comprises two chairs, a stairwell and a stool — which are then manipulated to represent a series of locations.

Tomlin once graced the cover of Time magazine with the headline "The New Queen of Comedy." Tomlin may no longer be queen, but she still bears traces of comedic royalty. For a night of light comedy, go to "The Search." But go prepared for two-and-a-half hours of Tomlin's best material: Though she plays many different characters, she is always, in effect, playing herself.

McCarter Theatre presents "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe," starring Lily Tomlin and written and directed by Jane Wagner. Performances through Nov. 5. Call (609) 258-ARTS for show times and reservations.