⭐️PANEL #1
Date: Thursday, October 9, 2025
Time: Immediately following the performance (around 8:30pm ending at 9:30pm) (Talkback & Reception)
Location: ODU University Theatre, 4600 Hampton Blvd, Norfolk, VA 23508
MYTHIC MONSTERS AND THE MAGIC OF THE PAGE
Filipino folklore teems with chilling, captivating creatures—and none slither more hauntingly into the literary imagination than the aswang. Shapeshifter and soul-stealer, the aswang is more than myth—it’s metaphor, cultural memory, and untamed possibility. From whispered warnings in rural villages to high-octane graphic novels and reimagined diasporic tales, these monsters continue to evolve, demanding to be read, feared, and understood.
In this spellbinding conversation, we dive into how stories of the aswang transcend generations and formats—becoming rituals of remembrance, coded social commentary, and cinematic page-turners. This panel unpacks the ways Filipino horror slips between art and activism, magic and media. Their work conjures not just monsters, but maps of myth: guides for identity, rebellion, and belonging, when imagination merges with ancestral shadow, and the written word is not only warning, but wonder.
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⭐️PANEL #2
Date: Thursday, October 16, 2025
Time: Immediately following the performance on Opening Night (Talkback)
Location: ODU University Theatre
STAGES OF BELONGING" THE POWER OF REPRESENTATION IN THEATRE
Following The Great Filipino American ASWANG Pageant, join the creative team and guest artists in a candid dialogue about the power of representation in theatre. Why do diverse stories matter—and what happens when they are missing from our stages? This talkback examines the responsibility of artists and theatre-makers to expand visibility, amplify underrepresented voices, and create performance spaces where every community can see itself reflected.
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⭐️PANEL #3
Date: Sunday, October 19, 2025
Time: Immediately following the performance on Closing Day (Talkback)
Location: ODU University Theatre, 4600 Hampton Blvd, Norfolk, VA 23508
ANCESTRAL ECHOES & PRESENT VOICES: STORYTELLING AN CULTURAL LEGACY
To celebrate the final performance of The Great Filipino American ASWANG Pageant, this panel gathers artists, scholars, and community voices to reflect on the journey of the production. As communities continue to face challenges of erasure and displacement, these stories stand as acts of resilience and remembrance. Together, we’ll explore how myth, memory, and performance safeguard identity and imagine futures rooted in belonging and possibility.
Also check out other Arts events in Norfolk, Theatre events in Norfolk, Literary Art events in Norfolk.
