While kiddos were out trick-or-treating last Friday, I made my way up to the fourth floor of the Indiana Repertory Theatre (IRT) for the opening night of “Marie and Rosetta.”
Written by George Brant, “Marie and Rosetta” is a two-person one-act play with music highlighting the legacy of Godmother of rock ‘n roll Sister Rosetta Tharpe (Cherish Love) and her relationship with partner and protégé Marie Knight (Jaela Cheeks-Lomax). Set over the course of one night in a funeral home show room in 1946 Mississippi, “Marie and Rosetta” invites audiences to glimpse at Tharpe and Knight’s first rehearsal before embarking on a tour.
Directed by Christina Angeles, “Marie and Rosetta” is an intimate yet powerful show, performed upstairs on the IRT’s Janet Allen Stage Oct. 28 to Nov. 23.
Aided by Music Director Morgan E. Stevenson and Spencer Bean on acoustic and electric guitars, “Marie and Rosetta” is so much more than just a play with music. Eager to get back into the church-going crowd’s good graces after playing nightclubs and blending gospel lyrics with secular sounds, Tharpe snatches Knight away from singing back up for Mahalia Jackson to be her co-star. The two stumble through a rehearsal, singing, swingin’ and finding common ground as they grapple with the reality of what it means to chase their dreams as married Black women in the 1940s.
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The show incorporates 12 songs either written by Tharpe or recorded and performed by her and Knight during their career together — from “Up Above My Head” to “Rock Me,” “Sit Down,” Tall Skinny Papa,” “I Looked Down the Line” and Strange Things Happening Every Day.”
It’s incredible how worship bleeds into so much of what we do today as a society, as a culture, as a people — intentionally or otherwise. Catching even a glimpse of what it looked like when Sister Rosetta Tharpe got her hands on a guitar and a hymn and added Knight’s contralto voice is nothing short of sacred.
Love’s Rosetta dons a floor-length white dress paired with a jacket. It’s a bit simple, but glamorous enough to let you know she’s a star. The look is mature, elegant, but sharp, where Marie’s sparkly off shoulder dress hits just below the knee, showing off her equally glittery kitten heels. It’s intentionally designed to make her character seem younger and more “innocent” than the married mother of two truly is.
The costume design also serves to juxtapose Tharpe and Knight’s pending first concert together and the funeral Knight is ultimately preparing Tharpe for — unbeknownst to her until the end of the show. The details about how this ends are there from the beginning, as are the jokes, including the one Tharpe makes about the casket being “comfortable.”
It’s a fun show. It’s snappy, flirty and definitely “swingin’” but it’s also heartfelt and, at times, sad. Some of us know how this story ends, and some of us don’t just yet, but there’s a feeling there that draws you right to the edge of your seat in hopes that maybe, just maybe, the music will never stop.
Despite being set in a funeral home down south, “Marie and Rosetta” carries a very chapel-like vibe that is not just attributed to the gospel swingin’ they’re doing. The stained glass windows and soft lighting play a key role in setting a nostalgic, comforting atmosphere where hope and dreams are allowed to grow. “Marie and Rosetta” also includes instances of fog and flashing lights, where the funeral home has abandoned the church in place of a concert stage at a stadium full of cheering fans.
The Janet Allen Stage definitely adds another element to the story, as both characters are constantly moving around to compensate for all the angles in which they can be viewed. Depending on where you’re sitting, you might be watching the back of someone for an entire scene.
I don’t think I even saw Cheeks-Lomax’s face for the first several minutes of the show.
Some moments truly took my breath away, and others had me giggling in delight. As I mentioned, the show is indeed funny. It moves quickly, but the pacing is just right. Much of the humor hinges on timing and line delivery. Love’s Rosetta is blunt, endearing and playful. It takes a moment for Cheeks-Lomax’s shy, demure Marie to warm up to her bold personality — and come clean about her age, marital status and children — but in truth, they’re a perfect fit.
In the playbill, Angeles writes that she hopes the performance reminds audiences that “the women in those black-and-white photos were real. They loved, they yearned, they blew people away, and they deserve their flowers at every opportunity.”
I believe this play did just that.
As we grow closer to the end of the year, I start to consider some of the truly spectacular works I’ve had the privilege to see around the city. “Marie and Rosetta” is the kind of show that suspends time. It’s spiritual, cathartic and reverent. The entire theatre and I were up out of our seats, cheering and applauding before Cheeks-Lomax and Love even took their bows.
“Marie and Rosetta” is approximately one hour and 30 minutes with no intermission. The show is recommended for 7th grade and above for profanity, discussions of Christian theology, segregation, racism, domestic violence, corporal punishment and death.
“Marie and Rosetta” runs on the Janet Allen Stage at the IRT now through Nov. 23. Tickets start at $27. For more information or to view a full show schedule, visit irtlive.com.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe has a bachelor's in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and has previously worked for Indy Maven, The Lantern, and CityScene Media Group. In her free time, Chloe enjoys live theatre, reading, baking and keeping her plants alive.
 for the opening night of “Marie and Rosetta.”){kind=link}