2008 Woodie Awards
Crowns Tells Story of African American Women's Role in the Church
Phillip Brooks
Issue date: 2/10/06 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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Last week the musical Crowns opened at the Repertory Theater in Little Rock. Written by Regina Taylor and directed by Lawrence Hamilton, the play examined the traditional and spiritual significance of the hats often worn by African American women during church services. In the play, students saw the strong connections the "crowns" hold to the past, heritage and faith of the women who wear them. The Lily Office offered free tickets for students interested in attending last Friday's showing, and the following morning students took part in a special panel discussion of the production including a visit by "Crowns" author Craig Marberry.
"What most people don't realize is the important role women play in the African American Church. The churches do have pastors, but the women are great leaders," Lily Vocation Coordinator Rev. J.J. Derden said.
The play centers on the lives and experiences of six African American women along with their special hats as they share their stories with audience members. While most of the characters were middle-aged women from the south, the character of Yolanda, played by Chandra Thomas, was a teenage girl from the streets of Brooklyn who found herself while visiting her grandmother, played by Barbara D. Mills, and listening to the stories behind each character's hat. Most of the songs seem to have stemmed from gospel, although traditional African drums and a rap by Yolanda were incorporated into the play.
"The message of the play is to pass it down," Crowns director Lawrence Hamilton said. "Yolanda is looking for herself. The other characters know who they are and try to help her. Yolanda is baptized in the knowledge and suffering of her past. Both joy and sorrow are in the hats and both make the characters stronger."
The hats represented many different aspects of the characters' past, heritage and personality. Most characters speak on how covering one's head was a sign of respect to the Lord. One character recalled the hat she put on her mother when she was buried. Another character relates how she could always catch a man's eye in her hat. The character of Mama Shaw recollects on how she walked into a former "white only" store just after the civil rights movement and shocked the cashier when she had enough money to buy a particularly expensive hat.
"What most people don't realize is the important role women play in the African American Church. The churches do have pastors, but the women are great leaders," Lily Vocation Coordinator Rev. J.J. Derden said.
The play centers on the lives and experiences of six African American women along with their special hats as they share their stories with audience members. While most of the characters were middle-aged women from the south, the character of Yolanda, played by Chandra Thomas, was a teenage girl from the streets of Brooklyn who found herself while visiting her grandmother, played by Barbara D. Mills, and listening to the stories behind each character's hat. Most of the songs seem to have stemmed from gospel, although traditional African drums and a rap by Yolanda were incorporated into the play.
"The message of the play is to pass it down," Crowns director Lawrence Hamilton said. "Yolanda is looking for herself. The other characters know who they are and try to help her. Yolanda is baptized in the knowledge and suffering of her past. Both joy and sorrow are in the hats and both make the characters stronger."
The hats represented many different aspects of the characters' past, heritage and personality. Most characters speak on how covering one's head was a sign of respect to the Lord. One character recalled the hat she put on her mother when she was buried. Another character relates how she could always catch a man's eye in her hat. The character of Mama Shaw recollects on how she walked into a former "white only" store just after the civil rights movement and shocked the cashier when she had enough money to buy a particularly expensive hat.