←Recommendations of Sapience

A masterful work. Burbano creates characters with autism, but shows us that they have hopes, dreams, flaws, and virtues like the rest of the world. In other words, people. Her story has a message, but it is not laid out for us. Instead, we are enraptured in the story, and from there, we see what it is the characters have to say. This is definitely a play I'll be thinking about, and I think you will, too!

An exquisite play full of humanity and bold theatricality. I loved the richly-drawn characters who were clearly created with fine and nuanced brushstrokes. Burbano explores neurodiversity, identity, communication, and the intricacies of human relationships in a really intersectional way that manages to so easily and thoroughly honor the identities of her characters while still maintaining a propulsive plot. Elsa's monologues and AJ and Wookie's impeccably scripted scenes were highlights. I saw San Diego REP'S online reading of this and it felt as emotionally resonant as an in person performance; I can't wait to see this one live.

Subject matter is very compelling. From science, autism awareness and the use of theatrical conventions that allow communication between human and orangutan make this a great play to explore. It has complex women that have complex relationships (both friendships & romance). And great insight into autism and the way neurotypical people misunderstand it.

Diana Burbano has created a rich and human play, sensitively exploring human conditions in a unique and powerful story. The drama and humor are well balanced in this engaging work. Would love to see a live production.

Startling, tragic, funny, engrossing... The interrogation of human language and connection, mortality, mixed with very much needed stories of folks on the spectrum and the science behind it all had me hooked from the start. I woke up early on a Saturday excited to finish reading this play!

The problem with a premise such as this one is it is hard not to have extremely high expectations for the play after reading such a fantastic synopsis. As it turns out, this play lives up to those expectations! This is really a lovely piece of writing and theatre, and I would love to see it grace a stage.

As a reader for BAPF 2020, SAPIENCE was one of my favorites scripts. With her distinct Latinx voice, Burbano has created an engaging play that utilizes several unconventional techniques, including intriguing shifts in style with musical moments. Since we’re used to seeing characters that are white autistic geniuses, it’s refreshing to find a Latinx play with characters on the spectrum and a story that’s not inspiration porn or more about the family’s struggles with an autistic child. I can only imagine how this play will translate onto stage but I can't wait to see it!

Playwrights Foundation congratulates SAPIENCE as a Finalist for BAPF 2020. This play rose to the top 35 out of 735 plays submitted, and was discussed at length by our Bay Area Literary Council for consideration in our season. We loved how this play uses the language of theater to illuminate challenging perspectives and compelling intersectional questions. This play ultimately moved & inspired us and spoke to the core mission of PF. We hope that once we’re allowed to return to our theaters again, it will be considered for production to reach new audiences.

I listened to/watched/participated in a reading of this play, via videoconference, on 3.19.2020, and was continually bowled-over by Burbano's prescient ideas, delivered with delicate ferocity. This play's humor and heart shine, in dialogue that grips us into a forward momentum. I had to bow out early of the live reading, because my own pent-up teenager was melting down, making this play all the more relevant and real. Catching up with the script this morning, I feel less alone.

Thank you, Diana, for showing us where we can go in the darkness, that within us, is light.

Burbano's script resides in a laboratory, one ostensibly for the study of great apes, specifically one orangutan named Wookie. But we the audience witness a larger experiment in human interaction, between hyper-intelligent folks on the spectrum. between races, human sexuality and illness, the effect of singing Echo & the Bunnymen in a controlled environment. How do our minds work? How much do we yet not know? How can we be aware of death and not go insane? It's a thought-provoking, compassionate work, and I seriously recommend it.