Marie and Rosetta

A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Marie and Rosetta

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  2w

George Brant

Marie and Rosetta chronicles music pioneer Sister Rosetta Tharpe's first rehearsal with a young protégée, Marie Knight, as they prepare to embark on a tour that would establish them as one of the great duos in musical history.

Marie and Rosetta

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2w
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Period, Docudrama/Historic
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult
Accolades
Accolades
  • Winner! 2016 Edgerton Foundation New Play Award

Details

Summary

Bringing fierce guitar playing and swing to gospel music, Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a legend in her time and a huge influence on Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix and Ray Charles. Marie and Rosetta chronicles her first rehearsal with a young protégée, Marie Knight, as they prepare to embark on a tour that would establish them as one of the great duos in musical history.

“It is so rare for a play about the inner lives of black women to center on their intimacy and not world politics or degradation that the very fact of George Brant’s loving two-character script is refreshing.” – The New Yorker

History
Marie and Rosetta premiered at the Atlantic Theater Company in New York City in August 2016 under the direction of Neil Pepe.
Keywords
Performing Groups
SISTER ROSETTA THARPE - an African American woman in her early 30’s. Pretty, vivacious, an irrepressible spirit. A mean guitar player with a bluesy voice. Plays spirituals that swing. 
MARIE KNIGHT - an African American woman in her early 20’s, but looks younger. A more traditional alto gospel singer, plays staid piano. Gorgeous, on her way to being a spiritual star.
  • Time Period 1940s / WWII
  • Setting A showroom in a modest funeral home in MIssissippi. 1946
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Additional Features Play w/ Music
  • Duration 90 minutes
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Media

“Four stars. Heavenly... you don’t have to be religious to know when you’re in the presence of glory.” – Time Out New York

“Mighty music-making... when it sings, it really swings.” – The New York Times Read More 

“It is so rare for a play about the inner lives of black women to center on their intimacy and not world politics or degradation that the very fact of George Brant’s loving two-character script is refreshing.” – The New Yorker Read More 

“Four stars. Heavenly... you don’t have to be religious to know when you’re in the presence of glory.” – Time Out New York Read More 

“A spectacular show... if much of the world has forgotten Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight - and, certainly, a lot of us have – playwright George Brant makes an intimate yet spectacular case for correcting that wrong.” – Newsday Read More 

RELATED ARTICLES

Sister Rosetta Tharpe was named a class of 2018 inductee to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Check out her page here.

Videos

  • Atlantic Theatre Company promo for Marie and Rosetta youtube thumbnail

    Atlantic Theatre Company promo for Marie and Rosetta

Music

  • Musical Style Pop/Rock, Folk
  • Vocal DemandsModerate
  • Orchestra Size Small/Combo
  • Chorus Size No Chorus

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $120 per performance
  • Mandatory Music/Media Fee: $45 per performance
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Authors

George Brant

George Brant

George Brant’s plays include Grounded, Marie and Rosetta, Into the Breeches!, The Prince of Providence, Elephant’s Graveyard, The Land of Oz, Tender Age, The Mourners’ Bench, Any Other Name, Salvage and Grizzly Mama. An Affiliate Writer at the Playwrights’ Center, his scripts ...

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