<P> Gershwin read Porgy in 1926 and proposed to Heyward to collaborate on an operatic version . In 1934, Gershwin and Heyward began work on the project by visiting the author's native Charleston . In a 1935 New York Times article, Gershwin explained why he called Porgy and Bess a folk opera: </P> <P> "Porgy and Bess is a folk tale . Its people naturally would sing folk music . When I first began work in the music I decided against the use of original folk material because I wanted the music to be all of one piece . Therefore I wrote my own spirituals and folksongs . But they are still folk music--and therefore, being in operatic form, Porgy and Bess becomes a folk opera ." </P> <P> The libretto of Porgy and Bess tells the story of Porgy, a disabled black street - beggar living in the slums of Charleston, South Carolina . It deals with his attempts to rescue Bess from the clutches of Crown, her violent and possessive lover, and Sportin' Life, her drug dealer . The opera plot generally follows the stage - play . </P> <P> In the years following Gershwin's death, Porgy and Bess was adapted for smaller scale performances . It was adapted as a film in 1959 . Some of the songs in the opera, such as "Summertime", became popular and frequently recorded songs . </P>

The folk opera porgy and bess takes place in chicago