The Agape Theatre Project's Rendition of Crowns:
A Gospel Musical Is Well Worth Seeing Twice!

The first time that I saw Regina Taylor's 2002 play with music, Crowns: A Gospel Musical, I immediately made plans to see it again the following weekend and to bring friends and family. Now, having seen the Agape Theatre Project's current production, directed by Terra Hodge, with music by Carolyn Colquitt, in Burning Coal Theatre Company's Murphey School Auditorium in Raleigh, I have a feeling of déjà vu! So, I am attending another performance this Friday. The script, the music, the acting, the singing, and the choreography (courtesy of Brenda Hayes) are all that upbeat, that on-point ... that good.

The Play:

Crowns is an ensemble piece in which every performer gets a moment in the spotlight. It can be described as a coming-of-age story for a young African-American woman. It can also be described as an anthem to a culture, a heritage, and a way-of-life. More than that, it is a dynamic demonstration of the power of storytelling and its ability to shape, improve, and even save human life.

In addition to six women, the cast includes one man (who eventually plays a dozen or so roles). At the top of the show, he performs the equivalent of a liturgical invocation. Standing on an upstage center platform that begs to be interpreted as a pulpit in a church and costumed so as to suggest a West African griot (or, perhaps, a high priest), he calls the service to order by striking the stage three times with his (West African-looking) staff. And, as though he had created it, the magic begins.

Raised in Chicago, Yolanda is 17 years old, streetwise, and tough. After the funeral of her brother (a victim of gun violence), she is sent to the rural South to live with her grandmother. Culture shock? You'd better believe it.

We first meet Yolanda through a rap song-and-dance number. She seems to be pledging allegiance to the inner-city life that she is about to leave behind.

In the next scene, we meet five strong, self-assured African-American women, pillars of their community who seem to represent the society in which Yolanda will now need to find her niche. The "crowns" to which the title refers are the beautiful, stately (and sometimes opulent) hats that these women wear as part of their "Sunday best" outfits. (Indeed, costume designer Pamela Boyd has provided these actors with stunningly gorgeous outfits.) Significantly, their costumes are enhanced by a priest-like surplice on the front of their dresses in this scene.

Through a series of "testimonials," we earn the significance of these women's hats. At the same time, we learn a little about their history and culture, about the importance of family, church, and community in their lives. The stories that these women tell are laced with humor, tenderness, and occasional good-natured criticism or even self-deprecation.

Various vignettes pretty much "stage themselves" as we attend school with Yolanda and when we join everyone while they attend various events, such as a worship service, a funeral, and a wedding (and yes, they do "jump the broom"). We are also taken along to visit a clothing store where there is a certain sense of triumph in the purchase of a hat.

The Cast:

The entire cast has been blessed with velvet vocal cords, and their vocal harmonies border on delicious. Dance numbers are well-executed, especially the synchronized movements. I was especially impressed when a modern-day dance routine morphed into an African dance.

Under Terra Hodge's direction, the actors seamlessly move from pure ensemble scenes into scenes in which one character's solo is accompanied by and complemented by the others. Sometimes, these scenes involve song; other times, simply storytelling. And they move just as seamlessly into another pure ensemble scene.

Jordan Hankerson infuses the character of Yolanda with the right mix of vulnerability, resolve, and toughness as she deals with and slowly emerges from her fish-out-of-water situation. I think it's fair to say that Yolanda remains "true to herself" as she assimilates herself into this society.

Rochelle Walker blends motherly with majestical as Yolanda's grandmother Mother Shaw. Angelica Bridges' Velma stands out, because Bridges plays her as somewhat younger than the other women, perhaps as a touchstone or a "half-way-there" for Yolanda to relate to.

India Williams (as Mabel), Aya Wallace (as Wanda), and Maria LaChelle (as Jeanette) are all charismatic throughout, captivating audience members with their stories, their songs, and their smiles.

Joshua Johnson (as "Man") plays all of his roles with aplomb.

The Tech:

In addition to the stunningly beautiful dresses and hats for the women, costume designer Pamela Boyd has provided Yolanda with the proper "uniform" for a rebellious millennial teenager. Equally impressive: the vast array of outfits sported by Johnson in his various roles.

Props/set designer Dr. Nadia Bodie Smith, along with lighting designer Latrice Lovette-Negron, has laid the necessary groundwork for creating the various realities depicted in the vignettes.

Nice Touches:

• The sound of wind at key moments.
• The vocabulary word: "hat-titude."
• A reference to "the gates of hell." (Be ready to laugh.)
• The phrase "I thought hats had a mind of their own."
• Explanations of strategies for defending one's hat.
• The expression "my children know their way home." (You will understand when the line is spoken.)
• The smooth stichomythic quality of a certain scene. (Expertly delivered!)

From the Department of Picky-Picky:

• The program tells us that Yolanda is from Chicago, but one of the songs gave me the impression that she had come from New York (I think it was a reference to Brooklyn).
• The use of microphones does improve the quality of the sound, but it always takes several minutes for me to get used to the sound coming from offstage when I see the mouths moving onstage.
• This production was originally blocked for a proscenium stage. The transition to Burning Coal's thrust stage could have profited from a bit more re-thinking.

The Bottom Line:

I repeat: After attending the show last weekend, I intend to return this Friday. How about joining me?

Pictured here are the cast and crew of the Agape Theatre Project's June 30-July 2 and July 7-9 presentation Crowns: A Gospel Musical

Regina Taylor's CROWNS: A GOSPEL MUSICAL (In Person at 8 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday, July 7-9), adapted from the 2000 coffee-table book Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry directed by Terra Hodge, with music by Carolyn Colquitt (Agape Theatre Project in Burning Coal Theatre Company's Murphey School Auditorium in Raleigh). PRESENTER: https://www.agapetheatreproject.com/, https://www.facebook.com/ATPDurham, https://www.instagram.com/agapetheatreproject/, https://twitter.com/AgapeTheatrePro, and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9bp87bCSuISLtK9dXKXKhw. VENUE: https://burningcoal.org/plan-your-visit/ and https://burningcoal.org/history-of-the-murphey-school/. DIRECTIONS/PARKING: https://burningcoal.org/plan-your-visit/. COVID PRECAUTIONS: https://burningcoal.org/covid-precautions/. CROWNS: A GOSPEL MUSICAL (2006 Chicago Play with Music): https://www.thereginataylor.com/crowns and https://www.dramatists.com/cgi-bin/db/single.asp?key=3220. REGINA TAYLOR (Dallas, TX-born actress and playwright, nee Regina Annette Taylor): https://www.thereginataylor.com/, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/regina-taylor-109792, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0853040/, https://www.facebook.com/thereginataylor/, https://www.instagram.com/therealreginataylor/, https://twitter.com/TheReginaTaylor, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regina_Taylor. TICKETS: $22.50 in advance, plus taxes and fees, except $17 apiece for groups of 10 or more ordered via 919-957-9692. Click here to reserve tickets. INFORMATION: 919-957-9692 or mr.khinton@yahoo.com. PLEASE DONATE TO: Agape Theatre Project.

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