Author: An Afternoon with Sister Helen Prejean and Dead Man Walking

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 and Heggie will discuss the evolution of Dead Man Walking from memoir to film and opera. The event, hosted by San Francisco Opera’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).  No reservations necessary. Seats available first come, first served.

2 p.m. — Film: Dead Man Walking — R, 122 mins., 1995. CC in English

4 p.m. — Discussion with author Sister Helen Prejean & composer Jake Heggie

5:30 p.m. — Reception and Book Signing

Sister Helen Prejean is known around the world for her tireless work against the death penalty. She has been instrumental in sparking national dialogue on capital punishment and in shaping the Catholic Church’s vigorous opposition to all executions. Sister Helen grew up in the segregated Jim Crow South. At the age of 18, she joined the Sisters of St. Joseph and eventually moved into the St. Thomas Housing Project in New Orleans in the early ’80s. It was at this time that she began corresponding with Patrick Sonnier, who was on death row in Louisiana for the murder of two teenagers. When Sonnier was put to death in the electric chair, Sister Helen was there to witness his execution. Not long after, she accompanied another condemned inmate, Robert Willie, to his execution. After witnessing these executions, Sister Helen realized that this lethal ritual would remain unchallenged unless its secrecy was stripped away, and so she sat down and wrote a book, Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States. That book ignited a national debate on capital punishment and spawned an Academy Award winning movie, a play, and an opera. A graphic book of Dead Man Walking is slated for release in 2025

American composer Jake Heggie is best known for Dead Man Walking (2000), the most widely performed new opera of the last 25 years, with a libretto by Terrence McNally, and his critically acclaimed operas Moby-Dick (2010), Three Decembers (2008), Intelligence (2023), and It’s a Wonderful Life (2016), all with libretti by Gene Scheer. In addition to 10 full-length operas and numerous one-acts, Heggie has composed more than 300 art songs, as well as concerti, chamber music, choral, and orchestral works. His compositions have been performed on five continents, and he regularly collaborates with some of the world’s most beloved artists as both composer and pianist.

Connect

Dead Man Walking — San Francisco Opera | Sister Helen Prejean — Website | Jake Heggie — Website

Related Events

San Francisco Opera Community Events: Dead Man Walking

Book Club: Dead Man Walking — Wednesday, September 3, 6–7:30 p.m., The Nabe — Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro St.

Book Club: Dead Man Walking — Saturday, September 20, 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m., Richmond Branch

San Francisco Opera Performances of Dead Man Walking are scheduled from September 14–28, 2025