George Gershwin Opera Porgy and Bess
Plot Synopsis and Character Description of an American Folk Drama
Dec 11, 2008
George Gershwin (September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) composed the opera Porgy and Bess, a three-act folk music drama. Libretto was written by DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin. It's based on the play "Porgy" by DuBose and Dorothy Heyward. It was premiered in Boston, Alvin Theatre, September 30, 1935, a Broadway tryout. It was moved to New York City and opened on October 10, 1935. The setting of the opera is in Charleston, South Carolina in the recent past.
Notable Arias of Porgy and Bess: "I got plenty o' nuttin'" (Porgy), "It ain't necessarily so" (Sporting Life), "Summertime" (Clara)
Cast of Characters
- Sporting Life, A drug dealer (tenor)
- Porgy, a disabled cripple in love with Bess (bass-baritone)
- Crown, Tough stevedore and Crown's girl (baritone)
- Bess, Crown's girl and a prostitute (soprano0
- Clara, Jake's wife (soprano)
- Jake, A fisherman (baritone)
- Robbins, Inhabitant of Catfish Row, gambling patron (tenor)
- Serena, Robbins's wife (soprano)
- Jim, a cotton picker (baritone)
- Peter, the honeyman (tenor)
- Frazier, A "black lawyer" (baritone)
- Mr. Archdale, Corner (Speaking only)
Plot Summary / Synopsis of Porgy and Bess
Act I
Scene 1. Catfish Row
Residents of Catfish Row dance and gamble at dice. The cripple Porgy loves Crown's girl, Bess. Crown joins other gamblers, gets drunk and loses at dice. When Robbins got lucky, Crown stabs him out of anger and kills Robbins. When the police arrives, Crown was able to escape. Porgy takes Bess in.
Scene 2. Serena's room
Serena mourns her husband's death. Porgy and Bess pay a call on Robbins's widow and contribute money to pay for the burial. A detective drags Peter, an innocent bystander, and detains him. The undertaker agrees to bury Robbins.
Act II
Scene 1. Catfish Row
Porgy and Bess fall in love and are happy together. A lawyer, Frazier, swindles him into paying for a fake divorce for Bess and Crown. Meantime, Mr. Archdale puts up Peter's bond.
Scene 2. Kittiwah island
There is a picnic on an island where Crown is hiding. Once again, Crown seduces Bess. She agrees to leave with him.
Scene 3. Catfish Row
Bess returns to Porgy in Catfish Row. She recovers and tells Porgy she does not want to go away with Crown. He promises to protect her.
Scene 4. Serena's room
Act III. Catfish Row
Scene 1
Sporting Life knows that Crown is not dead as people believe. Crown returns and Porgy stabs him to death.
Scene 2
The detective investigates Crown's death, but learn nothing. He takes Porgy away to view Crown's body. Sporting Life convinces Bess that Porgy will never return. He drugs her and she leaves with him.
Scene 3
Porgy returns after a jail-time. He brings presents that he bought from his gambling winnings. Realizing that Bess has left for New York, Porgy sets out after her in his goat cart, not knowing where New York is.
Sources:
Martin, Nicholas Ivor. The Da Capo Opera Manual. New York: Da Capo Press, 1997
Riding, Alan and L.D. Downer. Opera. London: DK, 2006
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