''Porgy: A Play in Four Acts'' is a play by

Dorothy Heyward Dorothy Heyward (née Kuhns; June 6, 1890 – November 19, 1961) was an American playwright. In addition to several works of her own, she co-authored the play '' Porgy'' (1927) with her husband DuBose Heyward, adapting it from his novel by the ...

and DuBose Heyward, adapted from the

short novel A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) fact ...

by DuBose Heyward. It was first produced by the

Theatre Guild The Theatre Guild is a theatrical society founded in New York City in 1918 by Lawrence Langner, Philip Moeller, Helen Westley and Theresa Helburn. Langner's wife, Armina Marshall, then served as a co-director. It evolved out of the work of the W ...

and presented October 10, 1927 – August 1928 at the Guild Theatre in New York City. Featuring a cast of African Americans at the insistence of its authors—a decision unusual for its time—the original production starred Frank Wilson,

Evelyn Ellis Evelyn Ellis (February 2, 1894 – June 5, 1958) was an American character actress of stage and film. Devoting herself to the theatre, her film roles were few, but she appeared in films including ''The Joe Louis Story'' and ''The Lady from Sha ...

, Jack Carter, and

Rose McClendon Rose McClendon (August 27, 1884 – July 12, 1936) was a leading African-American Broadway actress of the 1920s. A founder of the Negro People's Theatre, she guided the creation of the Federal Theatre Project's African American theatre units n ...

. ''Porgy'' marked the Broadway directing debut of

Rouben Mamoulian Rouben Zachary Mamoulian ( ; hy, Ռուբէն Մամուլեան; October 8, 1897 – December 4, 1987) was an American film and theatre director. Early life Mamoulian was born in Tiflis, Russian Empire, to a family of Armenian descent. H ...

. The play ran a total of 55 weeks in New York, and the original cast toured the United States twice and performed for 11 consecutive weeks in London. The play tells the story of Porgy, a disabled black beggar who lives in the slums of

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

. It relates his efforts to rescue Bess, the woman he loves, from Crown, her violent and possessive lover, and a drug dealer called Sporting Life. The play is the basis of the libretto of the opera ''

Porgy and Bess ''Porgy and Bess'' () is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play '' Porgy'', itse ...

'' (1935).

History

A descendant of Thomas Heyward, Jr., DuBose Heyward was from an old, white family in Charleston, South Carolina. In 1925, he published his first and best-regarded novel, ''Porgy'',(Edwin) DuBose Heyward 1885–1940. ''Contemporary Authors Online'',

Gale A gale is a strong wind; the word is typically used as a descriptor in nautical contexts. The U.S. National Weather Service defines a gale as sustained surface winds moving at a speed of between 34 and 47 knots (, or ).Dorothy (Hartzell Kuhns) Heyward 1890–1961. ''Contemporary Authors Online'',

Gale A gale is a strong wind; the word is typically used as a descriptor in nautical contexts. The U.S. National Weather Service defines a gale as sustained surface winds moving at a speed of between 34 and 47 knots (, or ). ''Porgy'' was one of a number of works portraying black life written by white authors, but it was infused with human understanding at a time that such an approach was new. Heyward's wife, playwright

, roughed out a stage adaptation of the novel that persuaded her husband of the story's dramatic possibilities. They wrote the play together, strengthening the character of Bess, incorporating folk songs, and creating a more upbeat ending that shows Porgy following Bess to New York. Just as the novel had been one of the first to regard African American culture seriously, ''Porgy'' was the first authentic presentation of black culture on the Broadway stage. The Heywards insisted that an African American cast perform the play, providing much-needed employment for black actors and offering white audiences a mature view of African American life. DuBose Heyward credited the actors—many of whom had theater experience going back generations—as collaborators whose contributions transformed the drama on the stage.

Production

Sponsored by the

, ''Porgy'' was given its premiere on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, running October 10, 1927, to August 1928, at the Guild Theatre and the Republic Theatre. Republic Theatre, The New York Magazine Program. ''Porgy'', week beginning July 2, 1928. ''Porgy'' then went on tour—for nine weeks in Chicago, 11 weeks in London, and in cities including Boston, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Washington, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Detroit, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and others in the northwestern United States and Canada. The show returned to New York, running September 13 to October 1929 at the Martin Beck Theatre. After a total of 55 weeks in New York, all of the original principal cast members of ''Porgy'' toured the nation once again, performing from October 14, 1929, into January 1930. ''Porgy'' marked the Broadway directing debut of

. Settings were designed by

Cleon Throckmorton Cleon Francis "Throck" Throckmorton (October 8, 1897 – October 23, 1965) was an American painter, theatrical designer, producer, and architect. During the early 1920s, Throckmorton resided in Washington, D.C., where he created sets for stage pr ...

. Portraying an aristocratic Charleston attorney,

Erskine Sanford Erskine Sanford (November 19, 1885 – July 7, 1969) was an American actor on the stage, radio and motion pictures. Long associated with the Theatre Guild, he later joined Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre company and appeared in several of Welles ...

was one of only three white actors in the 65-member cast of ''Porgy''. The boys band from the

Jenkins Orphanage The Jenkins Orphanage, now officially known as the Jenkins Institute For Children, was established in 1891 by Rev. Daniel Joseph Jenkins in Charleston, South Carolina. Jenkins was a businessman and Baptist minister who encountered street children ...

of Charleston was also featured. File:Porgy-Catfish-Row.jpg, Setting for Catfish Row by

File:Porgy-Verwayne-Wilson-Ellis.jpg, Percy Verwayne (Sporting Life), Frank Wilson (Porgy) and

(Bess) File:Porgy-Harvey-Verwayne.jpg,

Georgette Harvey Georgette Harvey (December 31, 1884 – February 17, 1952) was an American singer and actress. She is perhaps most famous for creating the role of Maria in the original Broadway production of '' Porgy'' (1927) and the 1935 Broadway producti ...

(Maria) and Percy Verwayne (Sporting Life) File:Porgy-Georgette-Harvey.jpg, Georgette Harvey (Maria) File:Porgy-Percy-Verwayne.jpg,

Percy Verwayne Percy Verwayne (March 10, 1895 – November, 1968), sometimes spelled Percy Verwayen, was an American stage and film actor. He featured in several films with African American casts including the 1921 REOL Productions film '' The Simp'' and Osc ...

(Sporting Life) File:Porgy-Rose-McClendon.jpg,

(Serena) File:Porgy-Jack-Carter.jpg, Jack Carter (Crown) File:Porgy-Evelyn-Ellis.jpg,

(Bess) File:Erskine-Sanford-1929.jpg,

(Alan Archdale) File:Porgy-Leigh-Whipper.jpg,

Leigh Whipper Leigh Rollin Whipper (October 29, 1876 – July 26, 1975) was an American actor on the stage and in motion pictures. He was the first African American to join the Actors' Equity Association, and one of the founders of the Negro Actors Guild of ...

(The Crab Man)

Cast

The original cast members are listed in order of appearance.

Publication

The Theatre Guild acting version of the play ''Porgy'' was published in 1927 by Doubleday, Doran and Company.

References

External links

*
Production photographs
from the Vandamm Theatrical Photographs collection at the

New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress ...

{{Porgy and Bess 1927 plays African-American theatre All-Black cast Broadway shows Plays by Dorothy Heyward Porgy and Bess Plays adapted into operas