Carmen Balthrop

A 1982 production of Scott Joplin's American Opera TREEMONISHA preformed at the Houston Grand Opera. The plot centers on 18-year-old Treemonisha, daughter of two ex-slaves who is taught to read, and then leads her community against the influence of conjurers who prey on ignorance and superstition.

William Grant Still's all-black opera performed for the first time on television since its 1941 composition. Based on a Southern folk tale, the opera depicts a young idealist who finds himself falling in love with a mystical spirit.