Parsifal: 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, standalone events that delve into the heart of these each of these operas — the stories they tell, the truths they wrestle with, and the unforgettable characters whose choices shape their destinies.
Guest speakers include Mary Ann Smart, the Gladyce Arata Terrill Endowed Chair and a professor in the Department of Music at Berkeley, and Jeremy Geffen, executive and artistic director of Cal Performances.
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 19th-century British literature, a champion of women’s issues and diversity on college campuses, and a lifelong opera lover.
Naniette H. Coleman is a PhD candidate in Berkeley's Sociology Department and studies culture and organizations. She is also a member of the San Francisco Opera's Board of Trustees and the founder and Executive Director of UC Berkeley's national award-winning Night Out/Night Off for Graduate Students arts initiative.
About Parsifal by Richard Wagner
The Knights of the Holy Grail are in decline. Their ruler, Amfortas, is ailing from an unhealable wound. While the knight Gurnemanz wistfully recalls the prophecy of a guileless youth who will restore the order, he refuses to believe that the naive, young man before him could be that savior. And so the youth, Parsifal, leaves on what will become a journey that will bring him full circle back to the knights.
Details
- Tuesday, October 21, 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, speaker events, town halls, field trips, intergenerational dialogues, socials, travel opportunities, and more. Fee assistance is available.
[Members, be sure to log into your OLLI account before registering to receive your discount.]