Porgy and Bess

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Bess (Morenike Fadayomi) with Crown (Lester Lynch, seated left) and the men of Catfish Row: Lyric Opera production, 2008-09 season.

tragedy. Porgy and Bess reminds us of Aristotle’s goal of a tragedy: the audience must experience a catharsis, must be able to experience pity and fear; must be able to pity the fallen hero (whether Porgy or Bess or both) and fear they do not have to suffer the same fate. With a spectacular musical score, Gershwin has lifted Heyward’s characters to lasting status. Dr. Ethel Pitts Walker is Professor Emeritus from the Television, Radio, Film, and Theatre Department at San Jose State University in California. She has directed more than 25 productions (the most recent being George Wolfe’s Colored Museum ) and has written two books, The New/Lost Plays of Ed Bullins and The African American Scenebook , while also contributing to numerous scholarly journals, magazines, books, and newspapers. Walker is the founding president of the Black Theatre Network (a national organization of theatricians), past president of the California Educational Theatre Association, and past president of the Legislative Action Coalition for Arts Education. After teaching for more than 45 years, Walker retired and is now living in southern California and is enjoying her new job as grandmother.

On Kittiwah Island, Sportin’ Life (Jermaine Smith, center) sings “It Ain’t Necessarily So”: Lyric Opera production, 2008-09 season.

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