The White Snake

Written by Mary Zimmerman, based on the classic Chinese fable

June 16 through July 10, 2016

Directed by Catherine L. Brown

The White Snake, is an intoxicating tale of star-crossed lovers, adapted for a modern audience by Tony award winner Mary Zimmerman from an ancient Chinese myth.

The White Snake of the title is no ordinary serpent, but a lonely supernatural being who transforms herself into a beautiful woman in order to search for love in the world of humans. In true fairy-tale style, she meets and falls in love with a poor but honest young man, Xu Xian. He returns her love and they are married, but she has concealed from him her true self. Her reptilian reality is uncovered by a vengeful monk who, appalled by what he perceived to be an immoral interspecies relationship, threatens to unmask her. Drawing on her magical powers and with the help of her confidant Green Snake, she vows to defeat evil and preserve the purity of love.

The White Snake is a love story, a fairy story, a visual feast, and a musical extravaganza that has something for everyone.The costumes are stunning, and the puppetry used to represent the White Snake in her real form reminds us that we don’t need high-tech wizardry to spark our imaginations.

The White Snake features original music by Brian Post, puppets by James Hindebrandt, and scenic design by Raymond Gutierrez.