Post-1930's-1: Gershwin's Porgy and Bess

The 1930s saw many cultural innovations despite the devastation experienced during the Great Depression. George Gershwin's folk opera, Porgy and Bess, was ground breaking because it featured a full cast of classically trained African American opera singers and African American culture. While the opera itself seems problematic for various reasons in contemporary times, in the 1930s the portrayal of African Americans by African American actors/singers was revolutionary. The popularity and proliferation of minstrel shows often comprised the scope of African American representation in mainstream culture. Even as Jazz gained popularity, Jim Crow was still law and discriminatory policies often kept black performers out of many venues. Below you'll find clips from a contemporary production of Porgy and Bess. For more on the opera: click here.