CARBURETOR: A GHOST SONATA
The SUNY Sullivan Student Activities Performing Arts Club is proud to announce performances of CARBURETOR: A GHOST SONATA, directed by Nick López and written by Jessica López-Barkl.
Zia is a beautiful little girl, with silky brown hair and dark eyes that sparkle with life and with just a touch of mischief. Like most six year-old girls, she loves rainbow colors and flouncy dresses and exploring in her primary classroom. Her happy smile is a much-loved, familiar sight at SUNY Sullivan, where her parents are on the instructional staff.
But if you observe Zia for any length of time, you will notice that, although she sometimes repeats phrases that she hears (a phenomenon called “echolalia”), she cannot carry on a meaningful conversation. Although she has favorite toys and activities, she tends to play alongside her peers, and not with them (an activity called “parallel play”). The feel and texture of common foods that most kids happily accept, like bananas and eggs, make her involuntarily gag, leading to difficulties with maintaining a healthy diet. And it is a never-ending challenge for Zia to communicate the needs and emotions that course through her tiny body, leading to frustration and meltdowns.
Welcome to the world of neurodiversity, otherwise known as “on the spectrum,” and/or Autism/Asperger’s. In her autobiographical play, Carburetor: A Ghost Sonata, Jessica López-Barkl explores the world of neurodiversity, inviting the audience to understand the humanity of those who process the relationships, tactile sensations, and emotions of the world in different ways than the “neurotypical” spectrum within which most of us operate.
Beyond Zia’s experiences, Prof. López-Barkl explores the possible genetic links…from Prof. López-Barkl’s late, beloved father (Zia’s grandfather), a hardworking car mechanic who unfailingly showed through his actions how much he loved and supported his daughters but who could never put that love into words, through Prof. López-Barkl’s own struggles with feeling overwhelmed by the sensory inputs of the world. Carburetor: A Ghost Sonata challenges the audience to broaden their knowledge of the range of neurodiversity and deepen their understanding and compassion for the many ways in which human beings process the complexities of our world.
Beyond her exploration of neurodiversity, Carburetor: A Ghost Sonata is a labor of love for Prof. López-Barkl in its reflection of her passion to see theater continue at SUNY Sullivan. After the theater major was eliminated last spring, Prof. López-Barkl was approached by a group of students from the Performing Arts Club, pleading for a venue to continue to showcase their work. Prof. López-Barkl crafted a beautiful piece for them to perform, royalty-free, and Nick López, her talented husband, volunteered to direct. The dedicated students are giving their all to keep the performing arts alive at SUNY Sullivan in these challenging times.
