MOTHER OF EXILES Opens In April At The University of Washington School of Drama

The University of Washington School of Drama will present Mother of Exiles by Jessica Huang, an imaginative and emotionally rich journey across 150 years of migration, survival, and familial legacy.

Directed by first-year MFA directors REN and Sebastián Bravo Montenegro, the production runs April 22–26, 2025, at the Glenn Hughes Penthouse Theatre, with a preview performance on April 18 at 7:30 p.m.

Set across three timelines—1898 California, 1998 Miami, and 2063 ocean-bound America—Mother of Exiles is a vivid, poetic journey through the lives of one family, shaped by waves of political upheaval and migration. As history repeats and reinvents itself, this deeply personal story asks: What are we doing—spiritually, socially, politically—to nurture life?

“The play presents this incredible life force that feels unstoppable,” the directors shared. “Even through loss and sacrifice, new life insists on growing.”

This Producing Artists Laboratory production is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between first-year MFA directors and designers and second-year MFA actors. That same intergenerational spirit is reflected on stage, where six actors carry the weight and joy of these layered, interconnected roles across eras.

“There's something deeply radical in how this play centers tenderness,” say REN and Bravo Montenegro. “Amidst climate catastrophe and exile, the characters still choose to hold each other.”

Their co-direction embraces multiplicity—honoring both historical specificity and speculative futures, trauma and joy, loss, and levity.

“Levity doesn't undercut the gravity—it sits beside it. The play insists on beauty and joy, even in the darkest times,” say REN and Bravo Montenegro.

The directors also shared that one line from the play continues to shape their vision:

“Your purpose is to be a bridge, not a border.”

“That's the heart of our vision,” they explain. “We're constantly asking: Are we building connections or shutting people out? Are we creating spaces where life can grow, or reinforcing barriers?”

“We see this question come into play with the character of Braulio, who believes he understands his purpose until he's forced to question everything. That arc—of interrogating one's purpose—resonates deeply with us as directors, as artists, and as people. Who, or what, do our efforts in this life serve?”