MMNT Opens 53rd Season With IN THE AMAZON WAREHOUSE PARKING LOT

Mary Moody Northen Theatre (MMNT) at St. Edward's University will open its 53rd season with In the Amazon Warehouse Parking Lot, a groundbreaking new play by award-winning playwright Sarah Mantell. Directed by Trace Turner, the production runs September 18 – 28, 2025 at the Mary Moody Northen Theatre on the St. Edward's campus.

Set in a not-so-distant future where coastlines are rapidly vanishing, In the Amazon Warehouse Parking Lot follows a band of warehouse workers as they travel from job to job, searching for missing loved ones and safety in an unstable world. Through shared stories, laughter, grief, and tenderness, they discover what it means to create family and find love amidst the ruins. At the heart of this lyrical play are queer, nonbinary, and trans characters, offering a bold reimagining of who survives and how we care for one another when the world as we know it has ended.

Sarah Mantell is a nationally acclaimed playwright whose work explores themes of family, identity, and survival with deep empathy and wit. Their plays have been produced and developed at theatres across the country, and they are known for centering queer and trans voices in bold, imaginative storytelling. Mantell is the recipient of numerous honors, including the 2023 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for In the Amazon Warehouse Parking Lot (Playwrights Horizons) and is a current finalist for the Lambda Literary Award.

Trace Turner is an award-winning, Austin-based director and writer whose work emphasizes community, collaboration, and inclusive storytelling. Turner recently directed Falsettos, and Jack & Aiden at Ground Floor Theatre, and Lipstick: a Queer Farce for Austin Rainbow Theatre, and brings a unique perspective to Mantell's visionary play, highlighting its themes of resilience, chosen family, and queer joy.

Joining Turner on the creative team are Jacob Foster (Scenic Design), Conor Tompkins (Lighting Design), Jerod Thornton (Media Design), Johann Solo (Sound Design), Susan Branch Towne (Costume Design), Liz Tyson (Props Design), and Robert Tolaro (Production Stage Manager).