Sister Helen Prejean & Public Events for Dead Man Walking
September 3, 2025 - September 20, 2025
Sister Helen Prejean, whose best-selling memoir Dead Man Walking inspired adaptations in film, theater, and opera, and composer Jake Heggie spearhead a series of public events that bring together local and national faith leaders and activists, artists, community members, and the public to explore the work's theme of redemption as well as the use of the death penalty in the United States. In addition to conversations with Prejean and Heggie, free programs will include book groups, community discussions, and workshops, examining intersections of faith, justice and the death penalty, as well as the state of our legal and carceral systems.
San Francisco Opera event partners include Sister Helen's Ministry Against the Death Penalty, the San Francisco Interfaith Council, and Lumahai Productions, with participation from Buddhist Prison Ministry, California Anti-Death Penalty Coalition, Congregation Emanu-El, Habeas Corpus Resource Center, Live Free USA, and Witness to Innocence.
Throughout the run of Dead Man Walking, an art installation featuring the work of incarcerated artists will be on display in the War Memorial Opera House (North Grand Tier level lobby), available to performance ticket holders.
Public Community Gatherings
-
Hosted by Sister Helen Prejean
Presented by Ministry Against the Death Penalty (MADP) and the San Francisco Interfaith Council (SFIC)
Wednesday, September 10 at 7:00pm
Sydney Goldstein Theater (275 Hayes Street, San Francisco)
Free admission. RSVP below for updates.This thought-provoking program, hosted by Sister Helen Prejean, explores the issue of the death penalty from both faith-based and policy/legislation perspectives, with two discrete panels as well as comments from Dead Man Walking composer Jake Heggie and baritone Ryan McKinney (who plays the role of death-row inmate Joseph De Rocher in the San Francisco Opera run), and a live performance by mezzo-soprano Nikola Prinz and pianist John Churchwell.
Faith leader panelists will include Pastor Mike McBride (Live Free USA), Reverend Susan Shannon (Buddhist Prison Ministry), and Rabbi Jonathan Singer (Congregation Emanu-El), while Sabrina Butler-Smith (Witness to Innocence), who spent nearly three years on death row before her exoneration, Nisha Shah (Habeas Corpus Resource Center) and Natasha Minsker (California Anti-Death Penalty Coalition) will take part in the policy/legislation panel.
Co-produced by San Francisco Opera and Lumahai Productions, with special thanks to Michael Pappas, Elizabeth Zitrin, and City Arts and Lectures.
Note: Upon clicking this link you will be prompted to log-in or create an SF Opera account
-
Featuring composer Jake Heggie
Presented by San Francisco Public Library and San Francisco Opera
Friday, September 12, 2:00-6:00pm
Koret Auditorium at the San Francisco Public Library’s Main Branch (100 Larkin Street, San Francisco)FREE ADMISSION, MORE INFORMATION HERE
Immerse yourself in the world of Sister Helen Prejean as she revisits her groundbreaking 1993 memoir, Dead Man Walking, and reflects on its adaptations into film and opera. This free program, presented by San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) and San Francisco Opera and produced with Lumahai Productions, opens with a screening of the Academy Award-winning 1995 film starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. Sister Helen Prejean will share thoughts about her life and work, and composer Jake Heggie will join her in conversation. The event, hosted by SFO’s Ryan Marchand, will include an audience Q&A and book signing, along with a preview of the forthcoming graphic novel version of Dead Man Walking, to be released by Random House on October 28.With special thanks to Elizabeth Zitrin of the Ministry Against the Death Penalty (MADP).
Event Schedule:
2pm Film: Dead Man Walking — R, 122 mins., 1995. CC in English
4pm Discussion with author Sister Helen Prejean & composer Jake Heggie
5:30pm Reception and Book Signing -
In Partnership with the San Francisco Public Library
Wednesday, September 3 | 6:00-7:30 | The Nabe | 953 De Haro St. SF 94107
(In partnership with SFPL Potrero Branch)
Saturday, September 20 | 10:30-12:00 | SFPL Richmond Branch | 351 9th Ave. SF 94118Join us as we explore this haunting story and engage in deep and impactful discussions revolving around Sister Helen Prejean’s groundbreaking and thought-provoking memoir, its timely themes, and the production brought to stage by San Francisco Opera.
-
All performances of Dead Man Walking will be preceded by a 20-minute talk by scholar Kip Cranna open to all ticketholders.
Perfect for newcomers, opera aficionados or anyone in between, our pre-opera talks provide an engaging 20-minute overview of the opera and its themes.
Live pre-opera talks occur 55 minutes prior to each performance.
Audio recorded pre-opera talks can be found on the details page for each opera once they are available (usually the week of the opening).
Dead Man Walking
Digital Art Exhibit
In partnership with the William James Association
Artists at San Quentin Prison explored the powerful themes and story presented in the opera Dead Man Walking by Jake Heggie and Terrence McNally, based on the memoir by Sister Helen Prejean.
Selections are on display now in the North Grand Tier Lobby.
The full exhibit, including artist statments, can be viewed at the link below.