We live among humans finding love and family … and we’re monstrous creatures who crave flesh and murder. We contain multitudes. — Marisol, siren

Surely, “The Great Filipino American Aswang Pageant” deserves a nod for the oddest show premise in the last 438 years.

Rouge: Theater Reinvented and Old Dominion University Theatre have conspired to create a funny, scary, playfully preposterous “pageant” (supposedly in its 438th year of existence) whose contestants are by day (or night, depending on their shifts) noble Filipino nurses caring for folks in local Hampton Roads hospitals, but by night (or day) mythic vampiric monsters, subsisting on human blood, called in Tagalog “aswangs.” Aswangs come in a dozen or more forms: werehorses, werewolves, sirens, tree demons, devilish magicians, elves.

ASWANG, in this play, stands for “American Social Welfare and Nursing Groups,” a kind of union of Filipino nurses that does not (one hopes!) really exist as such. But in this new play by local Filipino American writer Kat Stevens (from an idea by longtime local theater artist and cosplay wizard Philip Odango), these bizarre circumstances do exist and are directed by Rachel Crist Lizan, also Filipino American and a local educator/choreographer/library media specialist.

If you’re still puzzled, consider the “suspend your disbelief” theme of this year’s ODU Literary Festival, where the play debuted. And just listen to this year’s literary festival chair Marianne Chan, who introduced the play on opening night by confiding: “I’m not only a Filipino woman; I’m also an aswang.” The opening-night crowd both gasped and laughed.

And don’t be the least surprised that Rouge Theater is also involved, given its mission, in the words of its executive director Patrick Mullins, to “lift up stories” that “surprise, challenge and bring communities together.” All three things happen in this play, along with lots of laughter.

For as shocking and as politically incorrect as this play’s premise might seem (as I’ve worded it), rest assured it’s not meant to denigrate nurses or Filipinos in any way; on the contrary, it’s meant to lovingly “out” community stereotypes and entertain both Filipinos and non-Filipinos alike. To fight stereotypes, one must often employ them, even at the risk of some outsiders and insiders potentially misunderstanding.

For example: The pretend “sponsors” of the onstage beauty pageant are the very real companies San Miguel Beer, Spam and Jollibee, all brands known to be beloved by Filipinos both here and at home. The “ads” for said products projected on the stage’s three screens produced immediate hilarity and recognition in the ODU University Theatre audience, but surely very few (if any) hurt feelings.

So how is this simple but complex “onstage beauty pageant” (for monsters) executed?

Well, we have a horse-headed pageant host (an aswang, of course) named Tomas Tikbalang (played by genial actor/singer Raymond Dimaano) who wears well in his repeated appearances. He’s paired with Blanche/White Lady (meaning her dress) as his co-host. She’s played by human actor Anna Sosa, also adept at “moving the pageant patter” along.

The five contestants (we fortunately tune in for the finals) are Scotty Sigbin (Ryan Flores, doing some awesome dance leaps ) who’s supposed to be a “goat-wolf creature”; Ulanka Unfo (Hannah Bondoc), a “cannibal ghoul”; Marisol Magindara (Maya Pagtakhan), playing a “charming siren”; Blessica Batibat (Komal Smruti) as a tree nymph/demon; and Korey Kulum (played by athletic dancer Kai Alfonso, who’s also a scene-stealing evil magician). There’s also a supposed human, Zarina Gonzales (charmer Angelina Paquin), who’s an investigative reporter out to unmask the monsters at play. Watch out for her, too.

Raymond Dimaano, left, as Tomas Tikbalang and Anna Sosa as Blanche host the pageant. (J. Stubbs Photography/Courtesy)

The device of a beauty pageant, with its endless talent segments, folks answering silly questions, etc., tends to afflict the play with occasional tedious moments. The judges (here mythical beings, deeply robed and hooded) have little to say or contribute. Video screens on set help background the events, often with “monstrous” graphics. Perhaps costumes (beyond small animal ears) that more strongly suggest their wearers’ animalistic traits might have helped. Fake human feet and other body parts are tossed about the stage to suggest what the aswangs really crave as food. (“People pancit” is one specialty of a contestant whose talent is cooking.)

Rest assured we’re not given any scenes of our monsters doing their nursing shifts, so there’s really no need to cancel upcoming surgeries, for fear of waking up to … who knows what or whom?

If this play doesn’t rise to the level of great literature, it does quite lovingly create a sense of having visited warm Filipino culture for an evening. We even have little ones doing a dance mid-show, thanks to Virginia Beach’s longtime cultural center. Opening night featured a post-show panel discussing the play’s cultivation of community knowledge and togetherness.

Rouge Theater’s involvement, in partnership with ODU and as supported by Virginia Humanities, guarantees a show with humane intentions — always.

Under these protective conditions, aswangs can be safely observed from afar though the play carries the following advisory warning: “This is a campy parody of myth and mayhem — expect monsters in sequins, glitter with your gore, and transformations played for laughs and chills. While the pageant style keeps things lighthearted, the show does include cartoonish violence, death, and supernatural themes that may not be suitable for all audiences.”

Check ’em out, boys and ghouls, but hurry. It’s a very limited run. Don’t wait for pageant No. 439.

Page Laws is dean emerita of the Nusbaum Honors College at Norfolk State University. prlaws@aya.yale.edu

IF YOU GO

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; and 2 p.m. Sunday

Where: University Theatre, Old Dominion University, 4600 Hampton Blvd., Norfolk

Tickets: Start at $15

Details: rougeva.org/aswang or oduartstix.universitytickets.com

https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/10/16/filipino-american-aswang-pageant-review/