Crowns

A young black woman who has come down South to
stay with her aunt after her brother is killed in Brooklyn

Hats are everywhere in exquisite variety, and in this moving and celebratory musical play hats provide a theatrical springboard for an exploration of black history and identity

The characters use the hats to tell tales concerning everything from the etiquette of hats to their historical and contemporary social functioning

There is a hat for every occasion - from flirting to churchgoing to funerals to baptisms, and the tradition of hats is traced back to African rituals and slavery and forward to the New Testament and current fashion

Some rap but predominantly gospel music and dance underscore and support the narratives

The conclusion finds the stand-offish young woman embracing hats and their cultural significance as a part of her own fiercely independent identity

“... wholly theatrical ... a show that seems to arise out of spontaneous combustion, as if a bevy of department-store customers simultaneously decided to stage a revival meeting in the changing room” ~ NY Times

“Warm, wise and wonderful” ~ Star Ledger

NB - Score only available For Hire