Taking Up Serpents
Composer: Kamala Sankaram Librettist: Jerre Dye
Taking Up Serpents is an exploration of faith, both as it relates to religion and family, told through the lens of three family members in a snake-handling Pentecostal church. The story centers around Kayla, who is the estranged daughter of a fire-and-brimstone preacher who is dangerously bitten by one of his own snakes. Kayla’s journey home forces her to confront her troubled upbringing. This story is operatic in that the characters’ faith imbues the world with meaning that is larger than life.
Virtual Performance: