ëCrownsí: Worn, Comfortable Hat Appealing but Predictable Musical Comes to Arena Stage by Lisa Troshinsky "Crowns" at Arena Stage is a straightforward, predictable, culture-specific musical centered on a piece of clothing: hats. Written and directed by Regina Taylorówho adapted the script from a book by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry titled "Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats"óthe play exemplifies a genre that is familiar, not especially surprising, and one that we have come across many times before: storytelling through anecdotes and music of the Southern African American experience. What may be unfamiliar is how the stories of peopleís lives are toldónot through what they did or said, but through how they used and wore a particular accessory. At first, the scope of the play seems of little significance. You might ask yourself, "Women in the South wore hats to church, so what?" Hats are peripheral. People donít need hats to existóespecially hats just for show, such as the ones in this play. But to the economically and socially limited minority within a minorityónamely African American Southern women of an earlier eraóhats meant much more, as this play demo nstrates. Whether they are fox fur, feathered, veiled, pillbox, fussy, garish, bright red or purple, head pieces for these women were icons of power and status, and for some, a holy experience. "The Bible says that women should be covered," a character in the play tells us. Although it may not have been socially acceptable for black women to wear such headwear to work, they could safely parade them with pride in church. And although Southern black females had to remain demure in some settings, by wearing loud, boisterous "crowns," they could make bold statements without saying a word. They had "hattitude," as another character calls it. "ëCrownsí is a royal term that evokes images of leadership, pride, bold behavior and people who shape the future," wrote Lenora Inez Brown, a professor of dramaturgy at Chicagoís DePaul University. "That the book and play focus on African American women, a population often shown as bedraggled and struggling to lose its second-class status, furthers the idea that although the women arenít happy with their social position, they arenít sitting around sulking eitherÖ. Despite all the pain and trouble in the world, [they are] doing just fine." Playwright Taylor makes sure that the audience also does more than just fine. The infectious gospel music, sweet, bellowing voices, and exceptional percussionistóin the form of a one-man band whose sound effects and music include drums, symbols, traps, guitar and harmonicaómake the production worth seeing, even for those whose life experiences donít include Baptist churches and wide-brim-wielding women. The thin plot follows a young, street-smart, baseball cap-donning girl from Brooklyn who talks in hip-hop-ease and gets shipped down South to live with her grandmother after her brother is killed. Yolanda, delightfully portrayed by DesirÈ DuBose, finds herself uncomfortable when thrown into the foreign mix of older, church-going, traditional relatives who preach the gospel of Jesus and that one should cover oneís head to meet "the king." "Girls my age donít have the same passion for hats," Yolanda, with her long braids and urban gait, says as she gawks at the mountains of feather boas, bows and beads piled on the other womenís heads. A weakness of the production is that the other five female roles, although each played by strong and talented actresses, arenít that distinguishable from the other, and the series of nostalgic anecdotes that ensues becomes repetitive, especially considering the playís running time of an hour and 45 minutes with no intermission. The one male character, played by John Steven Crowley, tackles multiple roles and adds some variety to the production, as does the interjected choreography (which the play could have used more of). Riccardo Hern·ndezís set is a simple bare stage with floor-to-ceiling hat racks on each side, a few benches and some chairs. Most of the action is pantomimed, which works well for the purpose of quickly switching from one story to another. Scott Zielinskiís lighting makes good use of dramatic shadowing, and projected words on the back wall serve as the scene changes. And of course the costumes, namely the hats, designed by Emilio Sosa, are striking. Although predictable and provincial, the playís appeal is that it is so true to life. As the characters were taking their final bow, and as my friend and I were leaving, she said, "This play wasnít supposed to be unpredictable or shocking. It is just like my family when I visited down South. Itís actually like that. If you go to church, someone will ask you, ëDonít you have a hat?í The beauty of the play is that it is just like that." "Crowns" runs through Feb. 15 at the Kreeger Theater of Arena Stage, 1101 6th St., SW. Tickets are $42 to $60. For more information, please call (202) 488-3300 or visit www.arena-stage.org. Lisa Troshinsky is the theater reviewer for The Washington Diplomat.