About the Project
A one act solo performance following an enigmatic mixed Asian character known only as “the Archivist” as they enter and explore a room filled with a clutter of various Asian American artifacts, channeling and performing their stories in an attempt to figure out what the “through-line” is that connects the various fragmented identities under the umbrella of “Asian American.” Featuring object performance, modern dance inspired movement work, shadow puppetry, and both prose by some of the great Asian American playwrights and authors as well as original text, Manananggal aims to explore who we are, what we have been, and what we might become.
For my Asian American audience members, particularly mixed Asian American audience members, I hope to express my own desire to find purpose for this identity that is so central to myself but is also so nebulous and undefined.
For me personally, this project was conceived as an experiment to see if I, a half white Filipino who grew up without much connection to his Asian-ness up in the mountains of Tennessee, could ever connect through hard work and research and I hope that others like me will find solace and something to connect to in this work.
Learn More at joshuazacharybennett.com/manananggal
Production Team
