Moxie and TuYo’s world premiere ‘Sapience’ to examine barriers in communication

“Sapience,” the title of Diana Burbano’s play making its world premiere at Moxie Theatre on Feb. 3, is a commonly misunderstood word.

To be sapient is to possess wisdom, sound judgment and self-awareness, which are qualities that set humans — or Homo sapiens, meaning “wise man” in Latin — on a different intellectual plane from the Earth’s other animals. Many scientists believe dolphins, whales and large apes are sapient, but without a common language, we can never know for sure.

Burbano’s play is about Elsa, a Latinx primatologist, and her subject, an orangutan named Wookie, attempting to bridge the species communication barrier. It’s also about how difficult communication can be for nonverbal people on the autism spectrum and between Spanish and English speakers.

Co-produced by Moxie and TuYo theaters, the play will feature optional post-performance educational workshops created with the help of the Autism Society of San Diego. The workshops are designed to help audience members appreciate how community and culture are enriched when the voices of people on the spectrum and who are Latinx and Spanish speakers are amplified.

Nancy Ross, top, as Wookie, and Mariel Leon as Elsa in Moxie and TuYo theaters’ “Sapience.”

(Moxie Theatre)

With “Sapience,” Vanessa Duron makes her Moxie directorial debut. An actor, writer and producer, Duron said she first encountered the play as a member of the Amigos Del Rep play selection committee for San Diego Repertory Theatre’s 2020 Latinx New Play Festival. A single mother of three and advocate for mental health awareness and theater about people of color, Duron said she was immediately struck by the script.

“It is such a sweet and eye-opening play,” Duron said. “It’s about communication. It’s also about our relationship to each other and how we fail to understand how everyone communicates differently. But it’s also a play where the characters are trying to understand that in the best way that they can.”

In Burbano’s play, Elsa is a highly intellectual but unemotional scientist who has been hiding from her fellow researchers that she’s on the autism spectrum. Meanwhile, her 12-year-old nephew, A.J., is on the spectrum as well, but he’s nonverbal, locked-in emotionally and unable to communicate with others. Then one day, A.J. and the orangutan Wookie discover a common “language” and their “conversations” force Elsa to expand her ideas about communicating with others. Wookie will be played by an actor and the audience will be able to hear A.J. speaking with Wookie, even if Elsa cannot.

“As human beings, we tend to be judgmental and sometimes selfish in the way we want to communicate, or critical of people in how they communicate with us,” Duron said. “What’s special about the relationship between Wookie and A.J. is they accept each other for everything that they are — their flaws, their brilliance, their love, their lack of being able to show emotion or the way they show emotion.”

Nancy Ross, left, and Mariel Leon in Moxie and TuYo theaters’ “Sapience.”

(Moxie Theatre)

Burbano is a Colombian immigrant, actor and prolific playwright who works as a teaching artist at both Breath of Fire Latina Theatre Ensemble and South Coast Repertory, both in Orange County. Many of her more than 50 plays have Latinx characters and themes, including “Ghosts of Bogota” and “Fabulous Monsters.” She wrote “Sapience” during a 2018-19 residency at Center Theatre Group’s L.A. Writers Workshop.

In order to present the characters authentically and expand Moxie and TuYo’s efforts to expand diversity and inclusion, some of the actors cast in “Sapience” are neurodiverse. Part of the show’s creative team is inclusion specialist Samantha Ginn, a San Diego actor who works as an educator for people in the the neurodiverse community. Ginn has been on hand to provide additional support to the neurodiverse cast members, and she is working to create a sensory-friendly experience for them for the entire run of the show.

Duron said that when she cast “Sapience” several months ago, she wanted to be inclusive in seeking out actors on the spectrum, but she didn’t want to invade their privacy.

“We didn’t ask people on the spot if they were on the spectrum, we just asked if they had any life experience in this area.”

During rehearsals, Duron has been working with Ginn and with Delicia Turner Sonnenberg, Moxie’s founding artistic director, who has served as an artistic mentor on this production. Duron said it’s been a great learning experience for her and has made her a better director.

“It’s been one of the best experiences of my life,” she said. “It has allowed me to develop a different way of thinking and looking at things. It has allowed me to give thought to how I give directions and how I want situations to look for an audience. It also helped me acknowledge that everyone has a different way of processing. I’m more conscious of that now.”

While Duron said she believes many people who have family members on the autism spectrum will be attracted to “Sapience,” the play has universal themes that will appeal to a wide audience.

“It’s such an amazing story. It’s not just about communication, it’s about connection and the human experience. If we learn from this that everyone has accessibility needs, then we can be more compassionate,” she said. “It’s a lovely play. You will leave the theater thinking, and that’s what’s important.”

Moxie and TuYo have postponed the show’s opening date by one week due to COVID-related issues. It will now open Feb. 3 and a filmed streaming option will be available Feb. 12, 15, 16 and 19 for audience members who would feel more comfortable watching the show from home.

“Sapience”

When: Opens Feb. 3 and runs through Feb. 20. Showtimes 7:30 p.m. Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays

Streaming: A streaming option will be presented at scheduled times on Feb. 12, 15, 16 and 19 (check with theater for times, tickets)

Where: Moxie Theatre, 6663 El Cajon Blvd., Suite N, San Diego

Tickets: $35-$37; $15 rush tickets one hour before performance (limited quantities)

Phone: (858) 598-7620

Online: moxietheatre.com, tuyotheatre.org