The Scarlet Professor, a new opera composed by Amherst professor Eric Sawyer and based on a true story, traces the tragic journey of Newton Arvin. A Smith College professor and renowned literary critic with an affinity for "The Scarlet Letter," Arvin was arrested in 1960 along with two younger colleagues for possessing ‘beefcake’ pornography. See Arvin's story come to life onstage during a semi-staged performance on Sunday, Aug. 20, at 3pm in Buckley Recital Hall, free and open to the public. The performance is immediately followed by a post-show workshop conversation in preparation for the opera's official debut in Sept. 2017. @amherstcollege #musicatamherst #music #opera #art #thescarletprofessor #thescarletletter #theater #dance #performance #fivecolleges #fivecollegeopera