I had the pleasure of seeing the world premiere of SAPIENCE at Artists Repertory Theatre in Portland. Burbano's lush and humane script deftly weaves together a tapestry of emotion and connection - across species - with a delicate, intimate clarity and pervading curiosity. A gorgeous incubator for shared understanding, SAPIENCE draws on big topics and asks powerful questions while staying true to its smart, relatable and kind-hearted center. Brava.

Enjoyed everything from the title to the ending. Thoroughly impressed by Burbano's handling of loss, mortality, intelligence, and connection. Highly, highly recommended.

“Sapience” is a boundlessly ambitious and sharply observed play about the intersections of science, neurodiversity, and the shortcomings of human communication. Burbano creates a compelling protagonist in Elsa, an Autistic primatologist whose struggles to teach an orangutan English are mirrored with her cousin Miri, whose non-speaking Autistic son also struggles to communicate. The final 35 pages are one gut punch after the next, as the metaphorical jungle Elsa creates for herself gradually overtakes the stage—a great challenge for designers. Finally, “Normal is a place to hide” may be one of my favorite lines in a contemporary play.