How do aspiring playwrights start their careers? If they're lucky, they're nurtured by companies like St. Louis' HotCity Theatre.

HotCity holds a competition every year to discover and develop new playwrights. They request full-length play submissions (totaling almost 300 in 2010), choose three finalists to stage for their GreenHouse Series and invite the public to attend those readings free of charge and offer their input on the pieces. Then one play is selected to become a fully-produced piece as part of their next season. Intelligent Life is their latest discovery.

The story deals with an eclectic group of characters (a couple of alien-hunters, a Hooters waitress, an alcoholic and a lonely little boy) in search of life on other planets, but it becomes clear they are actually searching for a connection with people here on Earth. Playwright Lauren Dusek Albonico says she wrote this piece to ask questions about faith. What does it mean to believe in something wholeheartedly?  What happens if you begin to question that faith or lose it completely?

Intelligent Life runs through May 14^th at the Kranzberg Arts Center. Visit HotCity's website or Facebook Page for ticket information. And don't forget that HotCity's GreenHouse Series premieres its newest seedlings November 18^th - 20^th.

Have you ever had a close encounter with Intelligent Life? Share your thoughts by clicking on "Comments," below.