wednesday, SEPTMEBER 6, 2017 | 6
opinion
‘Crowns’ Brings Black Church Culture to the Spotlight
Anahzsa Jones editor-in-chief
When I received the invitation to see ”Crowns” at Raleigh Little Theatre, I was thrilled. I hadn’t heard of it before, but I’ve learned by now that this little theatre is full of big surprises, so I just assumed the show would be great. I was wrong. The show was absolutely amazing. “Crowns,” written by Regina Taylor and adapted from the book by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry, is the story of Yolanda, a Brooklyn teenager sent to live with her grandmother in South Carolina after the death of her brother. We see her journey to understand herself and the people she finds herself surrounded by through song and the ancient tradition of storytelling. “Crowns” is also the story of African-American people. Through the stories of the five women who take Yolanda under their collective wing, we get to see little slices of southern black America, from the ring-shout in slave churches to the civil rights movement to early Sunday mornings picking out hats with grandma. Brenna lila jane berry-stewert/Contributed by Raleigh Little Theater For some of us, it was learning someLynnette Barber as Mother Shaw, Chelsey Moore as Yolanda, LaToya Smith as Jeanette. thing entirely new, and for others, it was like hearing your own story told on stage. For LaToya Smith, an opera singer important to them. This gallery, with from different walks of life, but really who plays the part of Jeanette, it was pictures and the complete entries, can we’re all the same. It takes a village to like stepping back into church. “When be seen in the lobby of Cantey V. Sutton raise a child, so really we’re all connected we talk about these women and we talk Theatre where the show is housed. There in some way.” about these churches, I mean, I’ve seen were six winners, and each of them gave Johnson too, pointed out that it’s more these women, I’ve seen the hats, I’ve insight into their personal crowns and than the hats that matter in the show. “It seen the fans. We still have the fans with the culture of crowns everywhere. wasn’t always about the hat when Mother the sticks. This is our history. The whole And while the hats, both on the stage Shaw was trying to teach Yolanda. It was message is there; this is our history.” and in the audience, were beautiful to also about getting her spirit right too. It Joshua Johnson, who plays the man behold, my favorite part was the music. brings a deeper meaning than just, you (literally every man on stage), emphaPutting traditional gospel songs in the know, hats on Sunday,” Johnson said. sized the faith and religion aspect of the framework of this show gave them new And while that’s true, the hats act as show. He felt the biggest message was depth and meaning. One of the songs a bridge, a gateway between cultures. “that no matter what you have on, God is that brought tears to my eyes was, oddly They’re big, they’re pretty, and they’re still bigger than anything that you could enough, about joy. Through the voices something we all understand. Some more face or anything you encounter and what and the clapping and shouting, through than others. Evelyn Castleberry also we need to do is not just pass down trathe audience joining in, the show wrote, “I am a 90 year old white woman, ditions of the hats, but traditions of God.” provides an atmosphere of oneness and but I heartily agree with the countless The show saw a lot of community community. black women who would rather attend engagement, due in part to the competiFor Chelsey Moore, the actress who church naked than hatless.” tion they held for the show. The compeplayed Yolanda, that oneness was the While I most certainly am not that into tition, sponsored by Arts Now, asked for most important part. “The most importthe hats -- I’ll take clothes over hats any a photo of contestants’ favorite church ant message would be that we all come day -- I certainly agree that these crowns hats and up to 500 words on why it was
are an important way to tell the stories that need to be told if we’re going to understand culture. Not just our own, but anyone’s. Charles Phaneuf, the executive director of RLT, recounted a conversation with Patrick Torres, the artistic director, in which Torres said, “With everything that’s happening in the world right now, how lucky we are that we get to share these spaces where we get to be together and to celebrate culture.” And that’s what this show is: a celebration of African-American culture through the crowns the women wear on their heads. From the northern African kofia to the elaborate Sunday hats worn by the church mothers, this play answers the question of “Why?” Why do these traditions exist, and why should we continue them? As Yolanda says, “African Americans do very African things without even knowing it.” For some, their crown is a way to stay connected to their culture. For others, it’s worn to honor their God and their family traditions, and for some it’s a way to make a statement. No matter what your reason for adorning your head with a crown, or even if you don’t, this show is sure to give you at least a little bit of “Hattitude.” You’ll hear classics like “I Am On the Battlefield for My Lord” and “His Eye is On the Sparrow,” and I challenge you not to sing and clap along. “If you miss this, you’re missing something special. You need to get your tickets.” That’s the last thing Johnson made sure to tell me, and I couldn’t agree more. “Crowns” will be running until Sept. 17, so if I were you, I’d get my tickets now. And for a chance to see the cast up close and personal, they will be at the African-American Culture Festival in Downtown Raleigh on Labor Day weekend. Bring a friend, bring your favorite crown, and bring yourself to RLT to see this fantastic show.
