Fish House Opera

Fishing families live by the values considered truly American: independence, risk taking and honest hard work. yet in the competition over uses of the sea and protection on its resources, fishermen often become victims rather than equal participants in the search for solutions.

Taking place in 16 "acts" on and beside the broad waters of North Carolina, Fish House Opera offers eloquent testimony on the issues facing commercial fishing families today. Here they share their delight in being fully engaged in a life well lived and their despair at seeing that way of life changed beyond their control. With all the comic and tragic elements of a classic opera, Fish House Opera will resonate with anyone seeking to comprehend the nature of American Life.

Susan West is the wife of a Hatteras Island commercial fisherman. She writes the 'Fishing for a Living' column in the Island Breeze. She is well respected for her work in fisheries managemen, including her service on the North Carolina Fisheries Moratorium Steering Committee.

Barbara Garrity-Blake is author of "The Fish Factory" and has wirtten op-ed columns in The News and Observer. She holds a Ph.D in anthropology and taught for nine years at East Carolina University