San Francisco Opera Set to Perform 25^th Anniversary of ​“Dead Man Walking” in Partnership with Sister Helen Prejean

From September 14 – 28, 2025, the San Francisco Opera will present a spe­cial 25^th anniver­sary pro­duc­tion of the opera Dead Man Walking, which pre­miered in 2000. The opera, com­posed by San Francisco-based Jake Heggie and Terrence McNally, is based on Sister Helen Prejean’s jour­ney as a pen pal and spir­i­tu­al advi­sor to a death-sen­tenced pris­on­er at Louisiana’s Angola State Prison. Originally com­mis­sioned by San Francisco Opera, Dead Man Walking has been per­formed more than 80 times world­wide, mak­ing it the most per­formed con­tem­po­rary opera in American history. 

The per­for­mances will be accom­pa­nied by a series of free pub­lic events fea­tur­ing Sister Helen in con­ver­sa­tion with oth­er faith lead­ers and legal experts, and with Sabrina Butler-Smith, the first woman exon­er­at­ed from a death sen­tence in the United States. 

Sister Helen, a Catholic nun, began her work as a spir­i­tu­al advi­sor in the 1980s, when she was asked to cor­re­spond with a death row pris­on­er in Louisiana. This expe­ri­ence led Sister Helen to become a spir­i­tu­al advi­sor to oth­er con­demned pris­on­ers, a role that has led her to accom­pa­ny pris­on­ers through their final days, offer­ing prayer, con­ver­sa­tion, and com­fort before their exe­cu­tion. Sister Helen has become a promi­nent voice in con­ver­sa­tions about the death penal­ty, advo­cat­ing for its abo­li­tion based upon her faith and sup­port for restorative justice.