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Regional Reviews: New Jersey The White Snake: Chinese Fable Charmingly Adapted and Directed by Mary Zimmerman Also see Bob's reviews of The High Water Mark and Our Town
The tale, recounted by a team of narrators, is a version of the legend of White Snake who lived on a mountain. Over the course of many centuries, White Snake studied nature and learned how to turn herself into the form of a young woman. One day, she and her friend the Green Snake (Greenie) decide to go down the mountain for one day to visit and learn about the human world. While in human form in a public garden, they encounter Xu Xian, a poor, kindly young man, and White Snake is smitten with him. White Snake seduces Xu Xian and gets him to marry her. White Snake encourages Xian to open his own pharmacy, where employing her knowledge of spells and magical flora, White Snake brings Xu Xian success. White Snake and Greenie, who also worked in the pharmacy, live inconspicuously among humans never revealing their true identity to Xu Xian or anyone else. Enter Fa Hai, a Buddhist priest who is well versed in scripture and the magic arts, but cruel in spirit. Fa Hai is able to recognize White Snake's true identity and regards her transformation and marriage, and impending childbirth, as evil and dangerous. He deploys his powers to force her to return to the mountain and her true form. After his protracted efforts to expose White Snake's true form to Xu Xian end in failure, Ba Hai lures him to his monastery where he imprisons Xu Xian. Determined to free Xu Xian and be reunited with him, White Snake journeys to the monastery where she and Ba Hai engage in epic battle. Employing stick puppets (most commonly in the form of snakes), colorful costumes, artful digital projections (which include replications of traditional Chinese woodcuts as well as brightly lit lanterns swirling about), colorful umbrellas (at times, artfully choreographed to become the body of a snake), live music (a three-piece costumed orchestra—flute, strings/percussion, and cello—seated at the front of the stage), dance, and even moments of song, Zimmerman leads us to the moving and transforming moment when Xu Xian, and we along with him, come to an important realization that has the insight to enhance lives universally. The presentation of this bit of wisdom is not one bit preachy because it is inherent in this tale. Jon Norman Schneider is endearing and amusing as Xu Xian. Led by Amy Kim Waschke (White Snake), Tanya Thai McBride (Green Snake) and Matt DeCaro (Fa Hai), the latter decidedly more menacing than the others, the balance of the ensemble creates a smoothly, flowing lyrical performance. The sets, lighting and costumes by Daniel Ostling, T.J. Gerckens and Mara Blumenfeld, respectively, are lovely and effectively enhance the proceedings. The White Snake is a one-act, one hour and forty minute play. It tells a delicate folk tale. There is an overabundance of narration that offers alternate versions of this widely adapted play that (particularly in the overly extended final minutes) are not particularly compelling nor easy to follow. It is essentially a small delicate piece by design. Thus it lacks the scope and power of Zimmerman's best work. As good as The White Snake is, it does not transcend its genre as earlier Zimmerman works have. Although for once (and I hope forever) attention has been paid to sufficiently amplifying the sound at McCarter's largest theatre (the Matthews), The White Snake feels a bit swallowed up by so large a space. (The Berlind would have been a better fit.) However, for those of us who have been totally in thrall with such earlier Zimmerman adaptations as The Odyssey, The Secret in the Wings and Metamorphoses, the smaller scale The White Snake is a treat not to be missed. The White Snake continues performances (Evenings: Thursday, Sunday 7:30 pm/ Friday and Saturday 8 pm; Matinees: Saturday 3 pm/ Sunday 2 pm) through November 3, 2013, at the McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre), 91 University Place, Princeton 08540. Box Office: 609-258-2787; online: www.mccarter.org. The White Snake Adapted and directed by Mary Zimmerman Cast
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