Study Guide: Students & Educators MARIE AND ROSETTA Heather Baird Director of Education Tyler Easter Education Associate Fran Tarr Education Coordinator 1 SECTION I | THE PLAY Synopsis Characters Setting Themes SECTION II | CAST & CREATIVE SECTION III | YOUR STUDENTS AS AUDIENCE Theater Vocabulary Relating Themes to Our Own Lives: The First Bad-ass Female Guitarist: Meet Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Godmother of Rock ‘n’ Roll Fictive Kinship in Marie & Rosetta Webbing & Discussion Triggers SECTION IV | YOUR STUDENTS AS ACTORS Reading a Scene for Understanding Practical Aesthetics Exercise Mini-Lesson Vocabulary Scene Analysis Worksheet SECTION V | YOUR STUDENTS AS ARTISTS Post Theater Creative Response Activity Post Theater Creative Writing Activity Common Core & DOE Theater Blueprint SECTION VI | THE ATLANTIC LEGACY 2 Section I: PLAY The Play PLAY Synopsis Characters Setting Themes 3 SYNOPSIS SETTING A huge influence on Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles 1946. A showroom in a modest and Jimi Hendrix, Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a legend in her funeral home. time, bringing fierce guitar playing and swing to gospel music. Tharpe was the queen of ‘race records’ in the 30’s and 40’s, who performed mornings at churches and evenings at the Cotton Club, who was a big enough star to fill a baseball stadium for her third wedding, but ended up buried in an unmarked grave in Philadelphia. 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 duet teams in musical history. THEMES SISTER ROSETTA THARPE, Transformation an African-American woman in her early 30’s. Pretty, vivacious, an Fate irrepressible spirit. A mean guitar player with a bluesy voice. Plays Daring to be yourself spirituals that swing. Sisterhood Fictive Kinship 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. Teacher Objective To introduce students to the characters, setting, and story of Maria and Rosetta. Student Goal To understand that actors, working together, will simply and truthfully create the story of the play. 4 Section II: Cast & Creative CAST Director And CAST Cast Bios 5 GEORGE BRANT NEIL PEPE REBECCA NAOMI JONES KECIA LEWIS Playwright Director (Marie Knight) (Sister Rosetta Tharpe) GEORGE BRANT (Playwright). His NEIL PEPE (Director). Most recently REBECCA NAOMI JONES (Marie KECIA LEWIS (Sister Rosetta plays include Grounded, Elephant’s directed the world premiere of Knight) has performed on Broadway Tharpe). From originating the role Graveyard, The Mourners’ Bench, Kenneth Lonergan’s Hold On To Me in American Idiot, Passing Strange, of “Asaka, Mother of The Earth” on Any Other Name, Salvage, Grizzly Darling. Broadway credits include and most recently as Yitzhak in Broadway in Once on This Island, Mama, and Three Voyages of the the musical Hands on a Hardbody, Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Other to her Classic Stage debut in the Lobotomobile. His scripts have the acclaimed revival of David New York work includes Murder title role of Mother Courage, Kecia been produced internationally by Mamet’s Speed-the-Plow and A Ballad at MTC (Lilly Award and Lewis’s rich career of portraying the Public Theater, Trinity Repertory Life in the Theatre. Off-Broadway:; Lucille Lortel nomination), Signature powerful mothers and formidable Company, the Studio Theatre, John Guare’s 3 Kinds of Exile; Theater’s production of Big Love women has come full circle. It all Cleveland Play House, Alley Theatre, Moira Buffini’s Dying For It; Jez (Drama League nomination), began when she was 18 years old Gate Theatre, Page 73, and the Butterworth’s Parlour Song, Mojo The Fortress of Solitude (Public and made her debut as “Effie” in Traverse Theatre, among others. and The Night Heron; Ethan Coen’s Theater), Love’s Labour’s Lost the original Broadway company Brant’s plays have received a Lucille Happy Hour, Offices and Almost an (Shakespeare in the Park) and of Dreamgirls. Kecia went on to Lortel Award, the Smith Prize, a Evening; Harold Pinter’s Celebration the recent ENCORES production be seen on Broadway in Big River, Scotsman Fringe First Award, an and The Room; Adam Rapp’s Dreams of God Bless You Mr. Rosewater. Ain’t Misbehavin, The Gospel at OAC Individual Excellence Award, of Flying Dreams of Falling; Joe Rebecca also recently performed Colonus, and earned a Drama Desk an Off-West End Theatre Award, Penhall’s Blue/Orange; Hilary Bell’s at the Williamstown Theater Nomination for her work in Dessa a Theatre Netto Festival Prize, an Wolf Lullaby; David Pittu’s What’s Festival in Cost of Living. Films: Rose at Lincoln Center Theater. Kecia NNPN Rolling World Premiere and That Smell?; Howard Korder’s The Big Sick (upcoming, produced originated the roles of “Trix” and “Ida the Keene Prize for Literature. He Sea of Tranquility, (all at Atlantic); by Judd Apatow), Ratter (2014 Mae” in the Broadway productions of has received commissions from David Mamet’s American Buffalo Slamdance Film Festival Selection), The Drowsy Chaperone and Leap of the Metropolitan Opera, Trinity (Donmar Warehouse, Atlantic); Geezer (2015 TriBeCa Film Festival Faith, respectively, and took over the Repertory Company, Cleveland Romance, Keep Your Pantheon Selection), Passing Strange reins of “Mama Morton” in Chicago. Play House, Theatre 4 and Dobama and School (Center Theatre Group, (Spike Lee), and the documentary She was most recently seen flying Theatre. A proud member of the Atlantic); Zinnie Harris’ Further Broadway Idiot. Select Television: through the air, spreading joy and Dramatists Guild, Brant received his than the Furthest Thing (Manhattan “Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll”,”Inside magic as “The Fairy Godmother” on MFA in Writing from the Michener Theatre Club); Jessica Goldberg’s Amy Schumer”, “Limitless”, “Difficult the first national tour of Cinderella. Center at UT-Austin and is published Refuge (Playwrights Horizons); Tom People”, “High Maintenance” and On television, she can be seen guest by Samuel French, Oberon Books Donaghy’s The Beginning of August “Blue Bloods”. Solo concerts: Lincoln starring on “Law & Order SVU” and Smith & Kraus. He is currently (South Coast Repertory, Atlantic). Center American Songbook, Apollo (recurring), “Unbreakable Kimmy adapting Grounded into a feature Frank Gilroy’s The Subject Was Cafe. Rebecca is an Associate Artist Schmidt” (Season 2), “Limitless,” and film starring Anne Hathaway. Roses with Martin Sheen (CTG). with the Civilians Theater Company “Blue Bloods.” Also, Eric Bogosian’s Red Angel and holds a BFA in Drama from the (Williamstown Theatre Festival). North Carolina School of the Arts. Neil has been the Artistic Director of the award-winning Off-Broadway company, Atlantic Theater Company since 1992. 6 Piano (Actors Theatre of Louisville, RICCARDO HERNÁNDEZ CHRISTOPHER AKERLIND Arrangements), Marley (CenterStage, FELICIA COLLINS (Scenic Designer) (Lighting Designer) Additional Arrangements/ (Guitar) Broadway: The Gin Game; The Atlantic: Two Unrelated Plays by David Orchestrator), Choir Boy (MTC). is best known around the world as Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess; The Mamet, This Thing of Darkness, The Orchestrator – Jacksonville Symphony, the guitarist and vocalist in the CBS People in the Picture; Caroline, or Lights (at Lincoln Center). Broadway: Nashville String Machine, Carnegie Orchestra on the LATE SHOW WITH Change (also Royal National Theater Rocky, End of the Rainbow, The Hall. Pianist – Dame Shirley Bassey, DAVID LETTERMAN. It was at the end London); Elaine Stritch at Liberty Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (Tony Jennifer Hudson, Michael Bolton, of Cyndi Lauper’s Hat Full Of Stars (also National Tour, Old Vic London); nom.), Superior Donuts, Top Girls, 110 Fantasia, Chaka Khan – Ephesians tour summer of 1993, when Paul Topdog/Underdog (Royal Court); in the Shade (Tony nom.), Talk Radio, 3:17-19 | JasonMichaelWebb.com Shaffer contacted Collins about joining Bells Are Ringing; Parade (directed Shining City, Awake and Sing (Tony his band for the highly-publicized by Hal Prince, Tony and Drama Desk nom.), Well, Rabbit Hole, A Touch of MICHAEL DOMUE forthcoming Late Show With David nominations); Bring in ‘Da Noise, the Poet, In My Life, The Light in the (Production Stage Letterman on CBS. She was recruited Bring in ‘Da Funk (also National Tour, Piazza (Drama Desk, Outer Critics, along with P-Funk keyboardist Bernie Japan); The Tempest. Recent: Paula Manager) Worrell and remained a constant Tony awards), Reckless, The Tale of is excited to once again work with Vogel’s Indecent (Vineyard) Red nightly presence on network television the Allergist’s Wife, Seven Guitars George Brant after The Mourners Speedo (NYTW), The Father and A for the show’s entire 23-year run. (Tony nom.) and The Piano Lesson. Bench at Trinity Repertory Company. Doll’s House (TFANA), Don Giovanni As a musician, Felicia Collins’ long- With Martha Clark: Chéri (Signature), Also at Trinty: Camelot, Cabaret. Other (Santa Fe Opera), Grounded (directed standing reputation is as one of the Angel Reapers (The Joyce), Garden of Regional credits: In Your Arms (Old by Julie Taymor), The Library (directed most versatile. As a member of the Earthly Delights (Minetta Lane), L’altra Globe); Dracula, Topdog/Underdog, by Steven Soderbergh) both for Public CBS Orchestra a.k.a. World’s Most metá del cielo (Teatro alla Scala), Kaos Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, Theater, La Mouette (Cour D’Honneur, Dangerous Band, each day brought (NY Theater Workshop), Belle Epoque Becky Shaw, The As If Body Loop, Palais des Papes – Avignon Festival), a different artist to play with on live (Mitzi Newhouse). Awards: Obie for Natural Selection, The Shaker Chair, Abigail’s Party (Oslo National Theater, television… Pavorotti one day, L.L. Cool Sustained Excellence, Michael Merritt Pure Confidence, The Ruby Sunrise, Norway), Othello and The Dead (Abbey J. the next! Ev-er-y-body.