I will Live until i die
ABOUT THE MUSICAL
Synopsis
“I Will Live Until I Die” chronicles the transformative journey of Bertha Elizabeth Bowman, an African American girl from Canton, Mississippi, who becomes Sister Thea Bowman, a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration. The musical explores her challenges and triumphs as she integrates African American culture into Catholic liturgy and advocates for intercultural awareness. Interviewed by Mike Wallace on “60 Minutes,” friend of Mohammed Ali, Harry Belafonte, Whoopi Goldberg, and a host of prominent people of her day, Sr. Thea was a beacon of hope and unity within the Church and beyond
Inspiration
I have been traveling the United States, Canada, and across the world doing inspirational events with storytelling and music for 30 years. About fifteen years ago, people began telling me that my style of presentation was very much like that of Sr. Thea Bowman. After a presentation, people would say to me, “You remind me of Sr. Thea Bowman.” Being a convert to Catholicism, I did not know who Sr. Thea was. I went on a deep dive to find out who she was, and began studying her life. I immediately wanted to teach, preach, and perform more and more like Sr. Thea.
History of the Development of the Musical
More and more, I wanted to tell people about Sr. Thea’s life. I developed a workshop about her life as an informational session. That grew into a lecture demonstration about her life, with me singing Spirituals and performing short dramatic monologues. Next was a one-woman docudrama with music and movement. Then I begin to add characters and a choir. At this stage, the format was a narrative-drama with an infirmed Sr. Thea, months before her death, reading from a lectern & wheelchair and all the other characters embodying the action with dancing and singing. I began traveling the USA with this version of the show, designed for parochial school venues. Up to the present time the form of the production remains in great demand in parishes, churches and parochial venues. At the time, this format was best for me since I usually served as the writer, producer, director, lead actor and promoter of the production.
Why a Professional, Broadway-style Musical
In November 2018, the Untied States Conference of Catholic Bishops elevated Sr. Thea to Servant of God. This placed her on the path to become one of the first African American saints in the Roman Catholic Church. Inspired by Maria Vargo (GKChesterton.org) I decided to rewrite the show to be produced in a professional venue, as a Broadway-style musical. I want to bring Sr. Thea’s story to a broader audience. Since her life is filled with “firsts” as a African American woman, her story belongs in the wider context of American history, African American History and Women’s History. I want her story to be discoverable by more and more people as inspiration for what is possible to achieve, regardless of modest or humble beginnings. I also want to create a buzz about Sr. Thea Bowman so the Vatican will notice. Perhaps this will help her along her journey towards sainthood.
Biography of Sr. Thea Bowman
Sr. Thea Bowman, F.S.P.A. (1937–1990)
Servant of God
Born Bertha Elizabeth Bowman in Canton, Mississippi, on December 29, 1937, Thea Bowman grew up in a loving Methodist family that prized education, faith, and community. From an early age she showed an extraordinary gift for learning, language, and music. Drawn to the Catholic faith as a child, she asked to join the Church at age nine. Her parents supported her decision, and their courage and openness to faith would echo throughout her life. At fifteen, young Thea followed her calling to religious life and entered the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in La Crosse, Wisconsin—the only African American member of her community. There she took the name “Thea,” meaning “of God,” and went on to earn her doctorate in English literature. She taught at every level, from elementary school to university, weaving literature, faith, and culture into her teaching. But Sr. Thea’s vocation grew beyond the classroom. She became a nationally known speaker, singer, and evangelizer—calling people of every race and background to deeper faith, authentic joy, and unity in diversity. Through her radiant presence, she invited audiences to see that Black Catholic spirituality is a vital expression of the universal Church. With her voice, songs, and storytelling, she helped others celebrate the beauty of their own cultural heritage as a path to holiness. Even after being diagnosed with cancer, Sr. Thea continued to travel, preach, and sing from her wheelchair. In 1989, she spoke powerfully to the U.S. bishops, urging them to “walk together, talk together, work together, and pray together” until all God’s children were truly free. She died in 1990 at the age of 52—but her message of faith, joy, and justice continues to inspire people around the world. In 2018, the Catholic Church officially opened her cause for canonization, giving her the title Servant of God Thea Bowman. Her witness still calls believers to a life of courage, compassion, and song—a reminder that holiness can shine through every culture, every struggle, and every heart that says “yes” to God.
Key Quotes by Sr. Thea Bowman, FSPA
“What does it mean to be Black and Catholic? It means that I come to my Church fully functioning. … I bring myself, my Black self, all that I am, all that I have, all that I hope to become … as gift to the Church.”
“We need to tell one another in our homes, in our church, and even in our world, I really, really love you.”
“I think the difference between me and some people is that I’m content to do my little bit. Sometimes people think they have to do big things in order to make change. But if each one would light a candle, we’d have a tremendous light.”
“Part of my approach to my illness has been to say I want to choose life, I want to keep going, I want to live fully until I die.”
“I bring myself, my Black self, all that I am, all that I have, all that I hope to become. I bring my whole history, my traditions, my experience, my culture, my African-American song and dance and gesture … as a gift to the Church.”
“The Black Catholic gospel is when something is wrong, and you change it. You make doers out of observers.”
“Let your light shine. Walk your talk. God didn’t give your light only to sit on it.”
“I know that God is using me in ways beyond my comprehension.
“I know that suffering gives us new perspectives … Perhaps suffering stops us in our tracks and forces us to confront what is real within ourselves and in our environment.”