The manananggal gets the spotlight in this immersive theater production
Screengrab from “Monstress: An Audio Visual Novel” on Flying V Youtube channel
In this theater in Maryland, you’ll get the spooks not by ghosts but by something a little more terrifying and macabre: the manananggal.
This month, Flying V Theatre is staging “Monstress,” an immersive horror experience that spotlights the manananggal, a Philippine mythological creature often described as a woman with large bat-like wings, body split in half, preying on pregnant women and unborn children.
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“Monstress” aims to reimagine the manananggal through its mix of live and digital performance. It features two cast members—the manananggal and a character named Eloise, whom the audience joins on an exploration of the Manananggal Jungle, an exhibition where guests can witness the creature “feed in its natural habitat.”
According to the “Monstress” creative team, the production also aims to present the manananggal as a storyteller, who shows that she was not always a monster. The production also aims to share with the audiences pieces of Filipino and Asian American culture.
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“Monstress” runs until Oct. 28 at the Silver Spring Black Box Theater.
The first chapter of “Monstress’” audio visual novel is also available on YouTube.
