Portia White [SEP] voice type
Portia White
Portia White (June 24, 1911February 13, 1968) was a Canadian operatic contralto.
Early life and family.
Portia May White was born in 1911 in Truro, Nova Scotia, the third of 13 children born to Izie Dora (White) and William Andrew White. Her mother was a descendant of Black Loyalists in Nova Scotia, while her father was the son of former slaves from Virginia; he moved to Canada independently. In 1903 he was the first black graduate from Acadia University in Nova
Reception.
Reception Critical reception.
Performers, often with a strong singing background, have praised the play for bringing attention to an early performer, and noted that audience members often want to know more about her. Sister Yvonne White has also praised the play.
Michelle White, who played Izie for the Petrolia production, determined that she was not related to Portia, but discovered her voice teacher had been trained by Ernesto Vinci, and that Ernesto's lines in the play were similar to things her voice teacher would