CROWNS May 10, 2007

A play about hats and how they play a part in the African American community - especially the church!

Crowns written by Regina Taylor, was inspired by a coffee table book, written by Craig Marberry and illustrated by photographer Michael Cunningham.

Taylor’s play centers around Yolanda, a young and proud woman from Brooklyn, New York who after her brother is killed gets sent to South Carolina to live with Mother Shaw, her grandmother. In South Carolina, she is warmly welcomed into a circle of women and their hats. Through the exquisite variety of the hats, the characters use them to tell tales concerning everything from the etiquette of hats to their historical and contemporary social functioning. Through the history, music and aesthetics imported by her elders, Yolanda discovers and embraces hats and their cultural significance as a part of her own fiercely independent identity.

Official Website: http://www.ikamproductions.com