The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe

The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe (1977) is a one-woman stage show written by Jane Wagner and starring Lily Tomlin, which won the Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience and was turned into a film in 1991. The show, Tomlin's second Broadway billing as a solo performer, follows Tomlin as she performs various characters or persona, all while wearing simple black pants and a white blouse. The show appears disparate at first, but becomes unified under the sensibility of the opening "bag lady" persona as the performance progresses. The show is often praised or considered controversial for its feminist material, most notably the compressed history of the feminist movement offered in Act 2. For her stage performance, Tomlin won a Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics' Circle awards. The film was directed by John Bailey and edited by Sally Menke, and stays true to the original stage performance, earning the Golden Space Needle Award at the Seattle International Film Festival. For her efforts on the film, Tomlin received a Funniest Actress in a Motion Picture American Comedy Awards, amongst other notable accolades. Because of an intentional misspelling in the movie the film is also known as The Search for Signs of Inteligent Life in the Universe.