Join us as we welcome playwright Jessica Huang for a discussion about her new play, MOTHER OF EXILES, live on stage at Berkeley Repertory Theater Nov 14th-Dec 21st
About this event
The Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation will be hosting an online event with Jessica Huang. We will discuss her work on the play MOTHER OF EXILES and take questions from the audience. We hope to see you on December 3rd! This event is free but registration is required.
About the Book
One family. 160 years. Love across every border.
In 1898, on Angel Island, a pregnant Eddie Loi faces deportation amid America's tightening immigration laws. A century later, her grandson Braulio, through his role in the Miami border patrol, inadvertently conjures her spirit—unleashing a witty, opinionated ancestor. By 2063, their descendants, beset by climate catastrophe, embark on a perilous oceanic journey seeking sanctuary. From detention to diaspora, Mother of Exiles follows a single family's century-and-a-half odyssey—tracing their flight, fight, and the futures they dare imagine. Jessica Huang's multigenerational triptych blends historical drama with supernatural encounters, weaving moments of surprising humor into a powerful portrait of belonging and resilience.
About the Author
Jessica is a playwright and librettist whose award-winning work includes The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin, Blended 和 (Harmony): The Kim Loo Sisters (music by Jacinth Greywoode), Song of the Northwoods (Audible), and Ten Things I Hate About You: The Musical (with Lena Dunham, score by Carly Rae Jepsen and Ethan Gruska).
For Mother of Exiles, she has earned many distinctions including the highly competitive Venturous Playwright Fellowship. Jessica has commissions from Manhattan Theatre Club and TimeLine Theatre, and is the James Still Playwright-in-Residence at Indiana Repertory Theatre where she has been commissioned to create an original adaptation of H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds.
She is a graduate of Juilliard's playwriting program. Thank you to Marvin, Stephanie, and Carmen for their support with translation, as well as the organizations that supported the development of this play: Playwrights' Center, NNPN, Alliance Theatre, NYSAF, Florida Studio Theatre, Two River, Old Globe, The New Group, and Hedgebrook. jessica-huang.com
Register Here:
A Zoom link will appear after registering for our Author Spotlight. This link will allow you to access the program on December 3rd. For questions, email programs@aiisf.org.