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Regional Reviews: Raleigh/Durham Crowns
If you ever have walked the aisles at your local thrift store, you may have seen an array of hats thrown together in a bargain bin box, and perhaps you wondered what stories those hats might tell about the women who wore them. Crowns, playing at the Cantey V. Sutton Theatre, shares some of those stories. Based on a book by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry, the play interpolates traditional hymns and spirituals, weaving together a collection of stories told by several characters from different time periods. The central story is that of Yolanda (a versatile Chelsey Moore), a young African-American girl who tries to find her own identity, and in the process discovers a rich cultural heritage of which she had been unaware. After the death of her brother, Yolanda moves from Brooklyn to South Carolina to live with her grandmother, Mother Shaw (a scene-stealing Lynnette Barber), who welcomes her into a circle of predominantly female friends. The group takes turns sharing the stories of the crowns (hats) they wear, many of those to church. As she learns of the rich history of her ancestors and takes her place in this new community, Yolanda is drawn out of her isolation and grief. Director Terra Hodge has taken a minimalistic approach with this production, and the absence of lavish sets and repeated costume changes serves the play well. Costume design by Vicki Olson is equally economical, using the change of a hat to indicate a change in character. Much of the mood and place is established through Jeremy Diamond's lighting design. Little is needed beyond this group of performers, who seem to know their characters inside and out. In keeping with Mss. Moore and Barber, the rest of the cast is simply magnificent. India Williams as Mabel, Chandra Branch as Velma, Aya Wallace as Wanda, LaToya Smith as Jeanette, and Joshua Johnson as "The Man" each have their moments to shine, to speak, and to sing; and each delivers with infectious energy. At the performance I attended the audience clearly agreed, voicing their enthusiasm and laughing in delight at comic moments like Yolanda's urban dancing in a church, and Mabel's proclamation to "NEVER touch the hat!" The play runs about two hours and ten minutes and, however entertaining and engaging, it seems to accomplish most of its narrative objectives in the hour and half before intermission. The songs and dancing are entertaining, but the essence of the story is conveyed quite well in the script, and this production is better understood as a multimodal experience of drama and song, all built around the central symbol of the hat, which has had a rich and complex place in the history of women, and particularly that of African-American women. Yolanda articulates this well near the end of the play: "The more I study Africa, the more I see that African Americans do very African things without even knowing it. Adorning the head is one of those things ...whether it's the intricate braids or the distinct hairstyles or the beautiful hats we wear on Sundays. We just know inside that we're queens. And these are the crowns we wear." Crowns, presented by the Raleigh Little Theatre in the Cantey V. Sutton Theatre, 301 Pogue St., Raleigh, NC through September 17th, 2017. Tickets are $28 for adults, $24 for seniors (62 and up) and students. Tickets can be purchased online at www.raleighlittletheatre.org or by phone at 919-821-3111. Playwright: Regina Taylor Cast: |
