[NEohioPAL]Berko review: CROWNS @ Cleveland Play House

[Roy Berko]

CROWNS WORN WITH PRIDE AND PURPOSE AT THE CLEVELAND
PLAY HOUSE

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	


Based on the acclaimed book of photographs and
interviews, Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church
Hats (Doubleday, 2000), the musical ‘CROWNS,” now on
stage at the Cleveland Play House, lovingly evokes the
lives and stories of 54 “hat queens.” These queens are
African American who women range in age from 22 to 78.
 They were photographed in the hats they wear to
church each Sunday, hats which serve as their crowns,
their visual proof of their sovereignty.

The accomplished actor and writer Regina Taylor
distilled the women represented in the book to six
female characters (and one man) and created a new
character — a young woman from Brooklyn who is sent to
live with her grandmother in South Carolina after her
brother is shot.  Directed by Taylor, ‘CROWNS’
received its world premiere in October 2002. 

The script is a Gospel music-driven piece, a crazy
quilt of music and movement and storytelling that
takes the audience through the rituals of a Sunday in
the South with characters delivering  arias and direct
addresses to the audience.  These segments start in
the Sunday church service but jump off into memories
of life experiences in different times and different
places.  

The play captures the cultural heritage of Black
Americans that reaches from modern America through
slavery in the United States back to Africa.  Little
by little, through down home stories and songs sung by
her grandmother and women friends, all wearing hat
creations that make them stand up tall and confident
reach out to Yolanda (the young woman) who eventually
shows her acceptance by embracing her grandmother’s
world through a river baptism.   The stories range
from an undertaker figuring out how to accommodate a
dead woman wearing her favorite hat in the coffin to
the role of Black women’s hats in the civil rights
movement.

Staging devices help carry us through the stories and
songs.  First appearing in white slips, the ladies use
costume changes and many hats, glorious hats, to set
each story in a context.   The visual images are aided
by the projection of scene titles such as Prologue,
Morning, Morning Service, Jumpin’ the Broom, Funeral,
and Recessional.
   
The cast is generally superlative.  Especially
appealing are Lavonda Elam, dancer extraordinare;
Edwina Findley, who “cops the right attitude” as the
modern rappin’ young lady; and Cleveland native Angela
Gillespie Winborn, who not only is delightfully funny,
but can vocally wail.  Michael W. Howell, who plays
multi-roles as “The Man” has a wonderful singing voice
and displays a great sense of comedy and dramatic
timing.  Queen Esther Marrow, who is the most heralded
member of the cast, was wearing an ankle boot when I
saw the production.  Whether she was in pain or
uncomfortable because of an injury, her
characterization wavered and her movements were
sometimes restricted.  

One thing does sully the evening.  Since the playing
time is just under two hours without an intermission,
some cutting would benefit the overall enjoyment. 
After a while it just became too much of a good thing.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:   It is especially enjoyable to see
that the play is drawing a great racial cross-section
of the community.  For many reasons, ‘CROWNS’ is a
must see.  Oh, and make sure you take time to see the
Millinery Arts Coalition’s “Hats ON!” exhibit and sale
in the rotunda at CPH.

For tickets to ‘CROWNS ’call 216-795-7000 or go
on-line to www.clevelandplayhouse.com.


=====
Roy Berko's web page can be found at royberko.info.  His theatre and dance reviews appear on NeOHIOpal, a free on-line source, which can be subscribed to at neohiopal at lists.fredsternfeld.com.


		
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