UW-River Falls University Theatre Presents 'The White Snake'

February 12, 2016 -- The University Theatre at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls will present "The White Snake" in the Blanche Davis Theatre of the Kleinpell Fine Arts building at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25-27 and March 3-5.

"The White Snake," by Tony Award-winning Mary Zimmerman, is a lively reimagining of an ancient Chinese legend. In the story, two learned snakes, White Snake and Green Snake, who have been cloistered on a mountaintop for centuries, begin to imagine what it would be like to join the two-legged creatures below. They transform themselves into maidens and descend the mountain to enjoy all the "music and fine food and wine" of humankind.

White Snake soon meets and falls in love with the poor but charming Xu Xian. The courtship of the couple is sweet, their subsequent marriage is blissful, and all seems well until Fa Hai, a holy man, schemes to sabotage their happiness. The ensuing conflicts set White Snake on a journey to a faraway forest and ultimately leads to a clash that pits sea against sky.

The cast, made up entirely of UW-River Falls students, includes Emma P. Johnson of Shoreview, Minn., as White Snake; Phelan Patten of Wausau as Green Snake; Karsten Halverson of Menomonie as Xu Xian; Josh Gustafson of Minocqua as Fa Hai; Mady Davis of Bayport, Minn., as Doubt, Moon, and others; Kat Rokenbrodt of Chippewa Falls as Crane Spirit, Guan Yin, and others; Katie Kolakowski of Hammond as Master Lin and others; Jessica Strabel of Siren as Madame Lin, Sister, and others; Nic Persoon of White Bear Lake, Minn., as Brother-in-law and others; Francisco Grande of Cusco, Peru, as Boatman and others; Ben Heer of Rice Lake as Canopus and others; and Emily Leonard of Ellsworth as Stag Spirit and others. Theatre Professor Robin Murray is directing the play. Tiffany ?Schwichtenberg of Chaska, Minn., is the stage manager.

Tickets are $10/adults, $8/seniors (60+), and $5/UWRF students with ID and children 12 and under. The Box Office, located in Kleinpell Fine Arts, will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 18-19, Feb. 22-24, Feb. 29, and March 1-2. On performance days, the Box Office opens at 6:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in person, by phone at 715-425-3114, or online.

For more information, email robin.e.murray@uwrf.edu or call 715-425-3097.