Dead Man Walking: A San Francisco Opera Primer with Carol Christ and Naniette Coleman
The San Francisco Opera’s fall season brings four powerful works to the stage — Rigoletto, Dead Man Walking, Parsifal, and The Monkey King — each grappling with timeless questions of good and evil, innocence and retribution, punishment and salvation.
Join Carol Christ and Naniette Coleman for OLLI @Berkeley's San Francisco Opera Primer, a series of four standalone events that delve into the heart of each of these operas — the stories they tell, the truths they wrestle with, and the unforgettable characters whose choices shape their destinies.
About the Faculty
Carol Christ began her term as the 11th chancellor of UC Berkeley in 2017 and retired as Chancellor Emerita in 2024. Prior to that, she served as president of Smith College. She is a celebrated scholar of Victorian literature, a champion of women’s issues and diversity on college campuses, and a lifelong opera lover.
Naniette Helene Coleman is a PhD candidate in Sociology at UC Berkeley, an Emergent Political Economies Fellow at the Santa Fe Institute, and a multi-year UC-National Laboratory Graduate Fellow (Los Alamos). She also serves on the San Francisco Opera Board of Directors.
About Dead Man Walking by Jake Heggie and Terrance McNally
Joseph De Rocher has been sentenced to death for murder. Armed with her faith, Sister Helen Prejean is accompanying him on his journey to execution. Faced with the raw pain of the victims’ parents and the despair of the murderer’s mother, Sister Helen’s faith is tested in ways she never could have imagined.
Details
- Tuesday, September 2, 2–4 PM
- The event will be held in person and via livestream; a video recording will be shared later with all registrants
- For those who wish to attend in person:
- 1995 University Ave, Suite 365 (3rd floor)
- Doors open at 1:30 PM
- There's no need to bring proof of registration — we'll have your name on a check-in sheet
- The Zoom link will be included in registration confirmation and reminder emails; OLLI members will also find it in their Member Dashboards
Tickets
- $0 for OLLI @Berkeley Premium/Premium Plus members
- $40 for all other OLLI @Berkeley members
- $60 for general public
Not yet an OLLI @Berkeley member? Now is the time to join. Members receive exclusive access to 100+ courses per year, town halls, intergenerational dialogues, field trips, travel opportunities, travel, socials, and more. Fee assistance is available.
[Members, be sure to log into your OLLI account before registering to receive your discount.]