Holy Bible: Corinthians (1.11.5) "But any woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled brings shame upon her head, for it is one and the same thing as if she had had her head shaved." Who's to deny that demonstrating one's flair for flamboyant style in the service of a spiritual activity, is a good thing? And who's to deny these are ingredients for a musical? We all know about dressing for success. But in Crowns, now having its world premiere at the McCarter Theater, playwright Regina Taylor uses dressing up for the glory of God as a catalyst for her latest theater piece.
Up until the 1960s, both white and black people put on their best Sunday clothes and bonnets to go to their various houses of worship. Evidently, bouffant hairdos signaled the end of an era for white women in hats. Stepping out fashionably on a Sunday, however, has continued as a time-honored tradition within the African-American community. And the black women of the community have made putting on a fancy hat, commonly referred to as a crown, an important and meaningful aspect of the ensemble. This, it is believed, not only gives the wearer the aura of an empowered soul but serves to demonstrate her faith, as well. One character's declaration is significant: "I'd leave my children before I'd leave my hats. My children know the way home." It is this practice that provided photographer Michael Cunningham and co-writer Craig Marberry with the inspiration for their best-selling book "Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats." In the book, 54 women ranging in age from 22 to 78 are gloriously photographed in black and white. It is their comments/stories, humorous and sad, thoughtful and insightful, that provide the text.
The portraits and the accompanying text have been adapted and directed for the stage by Taylor (whose play, A Night in Tunisia, recently concluded a run at the George Street Playhouse). It is in the tradition of what is known as "theater of testimony," and as such is a theater piece that fits nicely into the genre that McCarter Theater's artistic director Emily Mann has favored as a writer. Crowns is a co-production with The Second Stage Theater in New York, where it is scheduled to move. "You could say that the black-and-white portraits are now observed in living color and propelled by the "hattitude" of six women distilled and synthesized from the 54. The women, played by Carmen Floyd, Harriet D. Foy, Linda Gravatt, Janet Hubert, Ebony Jo-Ann and Tony Award-winner Lillias White, and one man in the role of a preacher and others played by Lawrence Clayton, are observed preparing for church, getting there and their subsequent participation in a wedding, funeral and baptism. Each woman has her turn to step forward to tell an anecdote and story with time out for bonding in concerted segments. White gets the obligatory show-stopper with "His Eye is on the Sparrow." Gussied up with music and a helping of revivalist dancing choreographed by Ronald K. Brown, the musical puts the spotlight on each woman as she reveals through memories how she got her self-esteem and her love of high fashion.
Although the score contains traditional spirituals and gospel music ("When The Saint's Go Marchin' In" "Marching to Zion" etc), it also features original music by the show's musical director Linda Twine and its percussionist/multi instrumentalist David Pleasant. Pleasant and pianist Bernard Corbett are often more exciting to watch as anything is on the stage. Their contribution offers the contrasting yet complimentary rhythms and references to old mother Africa as well as to the new hip-hop culture. With many black women coming from a background of domestic servitude, the testimonies are used as a way to celebrate independence and freedom.
Dramatizing this mode of expression as a cultural statement and as a compelling piece of dramatic literature is not an easy chore. Notwithstanding the exhibition of black beauty on the stage and the invocation of black voices, Crowns, offers some sweetly nostalgic oral histories and nice digressions into song and dance but, sadly, little dramatic substance. Under Taylor's restrained and dignified direction, Crowns is hard pressed to be rise above the decorative. As was true with Taylor's aforementioned Tunisia, Crowns has only the barest dramatic through line, and offers no surprises, conflict or resolution. Even though each woman gets a chance to relate what the hat represents to her, how many she owns, and what they are motivated to do when wearing them, the musical also wants us to take an interest in a group of Southern women attempting to bring a young rebellious Brooklyn girl (Floyd) ("I don't know how to be one of them") into the fold and turn her into a hatophile."
The cast of characters makes it clear that the adorned hat represents a reflection of God's blessing as much as it does speak for the each individual's personal expression of solidarity with the other women of faith: "Our crowns are bought and paid for. All we have to do is wear them."
If designer Emilio Sosa has had a field day with silk, satin, cloth, straw, felt and fur, his task to give dozens of hats a life of their own succeeds. But, like an unfinished hat, Crowns has all the trimmings on hand (also thinking of Riccardo Hernandez's simple and stylish hat-bedecked setting), but no form or structure on which to place it. You could also say that the show is all dressed up with nowhere to go.
