Dead Man Walking
An
opera in
two acts by
Jake Heggie
Libretto by Terrence McNally
Based on the book by Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ
Commissioned by San Francisco Opera
World premiere: War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, California
October 2000.
World Premiere Cast
Sister Helen Prejean - Susan Graham
Joseph De Rocher - John Packard
Mrs. Patrick De Rocher (Joseph's Mother) - Frederica von Stade
Her 19-year old son - Eli Borggraefe
her 14-year old son - Mario Sawaya
Sister Rose - Theresa Hamm-Smith
Anthony De Rocher (Joseph Brother) - David Tenenbaum
Howard Boucher (Father of the murdered boy) - Gary Rideout
Jade Boucher (Mother of the murdered boy) - Catherine Cook
Owen Hart (Father of the murdered girl) - Roberth Orth
Kitty Hart (Mother of the murdered girl) - Nicolle Foland
Father Grenville (The Prison Chaplain) - Jay Hunter Morris
George Benton (The Prison Warden) - John Ames
A Motor Cop - David Okerlund
First Prison Guard - David Okerlund
Second Prison Guard - Philip Horst
A Paralegal - Jim Croom
Sister Lilliane - Sally Mouzon
Sister Catherine - Virginia Ruth
A Mother - Rachel Perry
First Inmate - Richard Walker
Second Inmate - David Harper
Third Inmate - David Kekuewa
Fourth Inmate - Frederick Winthrop
Fifth Inmate - Frederick Matthews
Mrs Charlton - Donita Volkwijn
Boy - Sean San Jose
Girl - Sawn Walters
Schoolchildren, mothers, prison inmates, lawyers, prison guards.
Based on the book by Sister Helen Prejean of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Medaille, and subsequently made into a film starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn.
The story centers around Sister Helen Prejean, a young nun working at Hope House a center for children in the projects surrounding New Orleans, Louisiana. She becomes a pen pal to Joseph DeRocher, a convicted murderer on death row. Answering his request, she drives to see him at Angola State Penitentiary where he asks her to become his spiritual adviser, meaning that she will be his spritual mentor and be there when he is executed by lethal injection. Joseph DeRocher is undisputably guilty of the crime he is convicted of but refuses to take reponsibility for his crime or acknowledge his guilt. He believes he is a victim of a poor judicial system. He says that his brother got a good lawyer and was granted life in prison without parole, but he got a "bum" lawyer.
Throughout her journey, Sister Helen comes into contact with all of those affected by DeRocher's crime. During a hearing to possibly stay his execution, Joseph's mother delivers an impassioned plea in a beautiful aria originally written with Frederica von Stade in mind. This scene is followed by probably the most moving moment in the opera, the beautiful sextet "You don't know what it's like to bear a child" a confrontation between Sister Helen, Mrs. DeRocher, and the parents of the two teenagers that Joseph and his brother killed.
Although Joseph's execution goes on as planned, he eventually confesses his crime to Sister Helen and offers his remorse to the parents of those he wronged before he dies. The story is really Sister Helen's story of her journey through pain, conflict and redemtion.