Celebrating Sister Rosetta Tharpe with the cast of IRT’s “Marie and Rosetta”

October 29, 2025

Hear interviews with members of the cast and creative team behind the Indianapolis Repertory Theatre’s production of Marie and Rosetta —including actors Cherish Love, Jaela Cheeks-Lomax, and music director Morgan E. Stevenson. 

Marie and Rosetta, written by George Brant, explores the powerful artistic partnership between gospel music legends Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight. The production runs at the Indianapolis Repertory Theatre from October 28 through November 23. 

Born in Arkansas in 1915, Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a trailblazing guitarist and vocalist whose music fused the ecstatic spirit of gospel with the rhythmic drive of rhythm and blues — paving the way for rock and roll pioneers like Chuck Berry and Little Richard. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, Tharpe is now widely celebrated as the Godmother of Rock and Roll. Known for her powerful voice, magnetic stage presence, and groundbreaking mastery of the electric guitar, Tharpe broke barriers as one of the first gospel artists to cross into secular music — achieving mainstream success throughout the 1930s and 1940s.