To say that Artists Repertory Theatre is presenting Sapience in its new lobby doesn’t begin to describe the wondrous experience of stepping into the world of color, light and sound that director Melory Mirashrafi and her luminous cast and crew have created for this world premiere of Diana Burbano’s play.

It’s ironic that such a warm, tender-hearted production takes place in a lab, where Elsa (Cristi Miles), a primatologist, tends to keep her fellow humans at arm’s length while studying her “subject,” an orangutan named Wookie (Barbie Wu). This lab, though, is no cold, clinical environment. Beautifully designed by Alex Meyer, Elsa’s workplace is more like a lush garden bathed in green light and teeming with signs of new life.

Here, an abundance of vines grows around the hanging shop lights; and potted plants, which are also illuminated, line the stage, while green leaves are scattered around the floor, just inches away from the front row audience’s toes. Ambient music and the sounds of tropical birds between each scene also add an emotional richness to the space.

Before the play begins, Wookie is onstage, leaning forward, tilting her head and moving her mouth as she observes the world outside her enclosure in a way that clearly expresses her yearning for interaction with other creatures. Elsa, though, who is teaching Wookie English words, is also eager to work at her desk, which she meticulously adjusts so that it’s positioned just so. 

To complicate matters, the lab is run by Elsa’s jovial ex-boyfriend Jason (John San Nicolas), who has emotional needs of his own. While Elsa is absorbed by her project, Jason and Miri (Tricia Castañeda-Guevara), who is Elsa’s cousin, are drawn to each other through a mutual love of music and movement and David Bowie.

Throughout the production, the word “apple” is a teaching tool for both Wookie and Miri’s neurodivergent son, AJ (an engaging Zachary Williams). As in Eden, though, the apple signifies potential trouble for all the characters, but especially for those whose abilities and behaviors aren’t considered “normal.” As Miri says, being “special” can mean being alone.

Because Sapience beams with affection for each of its five characters, the play raises questions about the superiority of this so-called normality. Wookie may not speak as humans do, but her awareness is often sharper than that of humans. She can sense, for example, exactly how Elsa feels about Jason. Similarly, AJ can tell Wookie things that Elsa can’t seem to articulate. 

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In a show that explores diverse communication styles, the array of costume colors (designed by DeMara Cabrera), tells their own stories. The emotionally open Miri wears bright shirts and has long locks of vibrantly colored hair. AJ, too, wears a gold or blue shirt, sometimes with an orange down vest. Similarly, Wookie is entranced by bright strings and ribbons, while Elsa, perhaps as a sign of her “otherness,” is often dressed in neutral tones.

Despite the alienating elements in society that everyone, to varying degrees, experiences, the production itself draws people together, with the audience wrapped around three sides of the intimate set. The actors, too, sometimes step off the low stage and perform within a few feet of the audience, further blurring the boundaries between their characters’ world and ours.

In this sense, Mirashrafi’s vision for Sapience feels like an invitation to notice – or even delight in – our diverse abilities. Although they can cause pain, they also offer a dazzling variety.

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Sapience continues through March 23 at Artists Rep, 1515 S.W. Morrison in Portland. Find tickets and schedules here.