Photo: Dario Acosta Artistic Director’s Welcome Welcome to the <strong>American</strong> <strong>Repertory</strong> <strong>Theater</strong>’s production of The Gershwins’ <strong>Porgy</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Bess</strong>! This production is a homecoming of sorts. The first performance of this <strong>American</strong> masterpiece took place on September 30th, 1935 at the Colonial Theatre, right across from Boston Common where Gershwin famously walked for hours after the curtain came down, making forty-five minutes of cuts to the score that very evening. That night marked the beginning of a journey for <strong>Porgy</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Bess</strong> that tells a story about <strong>American</strong> history as much as it does about the evolution of this iconic work. In 1936, the show went on a tour that l<strong>and</strong>ed the cast in Washington, D.C. at the National Theatre, which had a policy of segregation. Todd Duncan, the first <strong>Porgy</strong>, was determined not to perform unless every seat was made available to any person regardless of the color of their skin. Anne Brown, the original <strong>Bess</strong>, stood by his side. The theater’s manager offered to allow African <strong>American</strong>s to attend Wednesday <strong>and</strong> Saturday matinees. When Duncan refused, he offered to allow African <strong>American</strong>s to sit in the second balcony for every performance. But Duncan did not relent, <strong>and</strong> in March of 1936, the National Theatre was desegregated for the first time in its history. It is to the memory of Todd Duncan <strong>and</strong> Anne Brown that we dedicate this production. As we look to the future of sharing this important classic with new generations, we honor the legacy of these two artists <strong>and</strong> their impact on our cultural <strong>and</strong> social history. We are very grateful to the estates of George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, <strong>and</strong> DuBose <strong>and</strong> Dorothy Heyward for their support of this production. They have encouraged us to create a show for an intimate theatrical setting that focuses on the story <strong>and</strong> characters as much as on the glorious score that we all cherish. I could not imagine a better team to work on this than Suzan-Lori Parks, Diedre Murray, Ron K. Brown, our designers, orchestrators, musical <strong>and</strong> production staff, <strong>and</strong> the entire cast of performers who have thrown their hearts <strong>and</strong> souls into this process. Lastly, I must express gratitude to the A.R.T. Trustees <strong>and</strong> Advisors for their belief in this project, <strong>and</strong> to all the individuals <strong>and</strong> companies who have come forward to support <strong>Porgy</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Bess</strong> <strong>and</strong> our mission to serve the broadest possible audience in Boston with a version of this work that promotes dialogue, education <strong>and</strong> access. The A.R.T. lost a longtime friend <strong>and</strong> supporter with the passing of Myra Kraft, a true force within the Boston community. We honor her spirit of inclusion <strong>and</strong> community building with this production. Thank you for engaging with us at the A.R.T., <strong>and</strong> joining us for this next chapter in the history of <strong>Porgy</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Bess</strong>. 12 AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATER
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