Indy Theatre Habit

My friend Sue G. and I met downtown Indianapolis at the Indiana Repertory Theatre two weeks ago for the opening night of “Crowns.”   This exuberant musical was directed and choreographed by Patdro Harris, assisted by Connie Oates-Allen.  William Hubbard was the musical director.  Amy K. Denkmann is the stage manager.  The script was adapted by Regina Taylor from the book by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry.

Two weeks is a long time to let a show settle before writing a review, I know.  I’m not sure why I needed so much time, but I did.  I think the delay was due to a combination of other race-related conversations going on in my life at the time and the richness of the show itself.  This is a visually and aurally beautiful show about African-American women and their hats, yes, but it is also a thought-provoking, healing show about universal experiences of love, sorrow, perseverance, faith, and pleasure.  There is a lot of light and humor in it, but it is not an experience to be rushed.

After her brother is shot, a young African-American high school student living in New York is sent to South Carolina to live with her grandmother.  The girl’s elders are concerned that Yolanda (Shannon Antalan) is growing up without the protection of a solid grounding in the history, stories, values, and culture of her family and her people.  They hope she will gain that grounding in Mother Shaw’s (Chandra Currelley’s) community.

Sullen Yolanda does not want to be there.

However, little by little, Mother Shaw and her friends from church – Wanda (Terry Burrell), Jeanette (Crystal Fox), Mable (Valerie Payton), Velma (Roz White), and a Man (Dennis W. Spears) – do give Yolanda what she didn’t even know she needed.  They do open her eyes and help her to see how she fits in the world.  They show her that fitting in is not necessarily about conforming but about celebrating connections and showing respect.

This emotional and psychological gift is tied to the selecting and wearing of hats, especially wearing hats to church.  “You’re going into the presence of God, the King,” one woman tells Yolanda.  “You have to look your best.” 

Another tells her that “We are (God’s) queens, and these hats are our crowns.”

And yet another tells her that “Our crowns have been bought and paid for.  All we’ve got to do is wear them.”

As each woman (or man) tells and sings stories related to her own hats and the hats of her relatives, we begin to see that it is a tie of support that extends even further than these particular families.  The significance of adorning one’s head goes back to slavery times and beyond, to the spirituality of Africa.

In fact, the play opens with a vibrant reminder of the Orishas of the Yoruba religion in West Africa.  Each member of the cast wears a robe and hat in specific colors representing a different aspect of God.  I was delighted to recognize the yellow garb of Oshun.  The program notes from costume designer Reggie Ray say that Oshun “embodies all which is womanly, from her beauty to her finicky personality.  Her colors are yellow and gold.” 

The integrity of the swirl of colors continues throughout the piece even as the cast members change into more modern suits, dresses, and hats.

And shoes!  Oh, my goodness, the shoes in this show are gorgeous. 

So are the voices. 

In the Prologue (the discussion presented by an IRT staff member 45 minutes before every performance), resident dramaturg Richard Roberts pointed out this cast’s exceptional wealth of Broadway and other experience. During the show itself I swooned more than once over the power and beauty of their voices and Jonathan Herter’s sound design.  Sometimes their singing made this normally reserved Episcopalian want to just lift her palms in praise to the creator of these musical gifts.

Roberts also pointed out that there are many musical styles in this show, including spirituals, blues, jazz, hip-hop, and more.  Each style in real life built on the styles that preceded it, just as every time a story is told, it changes a little bit.  Both memory and the ability to improvise are important in the oral tradition.

Roberts also told us that theatre audiences are sometimes surprised when a show incorporates call-and-response, but that, too, is a strong component of African traditions that continues in African-American culture today.  People expect to call out responses at church, at political rallies, at sporting events, and more.  The creators of this show hope it will move theatre audiences, too, to clap and sing along, maybe even get up and dance a bit in the aisles.

“If the spirit moves you,” Roberts told us, “please let it out!”

The lighting design, by Jennifer Setlow, encourages engagement, too.  The house lights come up a bit to create a feeling of intimacy when the characters move into the audience to share stories.  At other times, dramatic lines of light on the stage evoke the mystery of a cathedral.  And still other aspects of the lighting design echo the characters’ emotions.  It is very effective.

After the show, since it was opening night, Sue and I got to go up on stage and look closely at the subtle, elegant lines of the multi-level set pieces and the wide variety of hats on their stands.  We also got to talk with deck manager Kyle Baker and his (I think) wife Alissa Baker from the IRT’s development department.

The Bakers told us that Felix E. Cochren’s scenic design allows for the set pieces to come apart easily.  This is good because the whole show, including the set pieces, will travel to two other theatres after its run at the IRT.  I hope the cast members like each other a lot, because they will have been working together for eight months by the time this gig is over.

Kyle gave me two new vocabulary phrases, too:  “rake gate,” which is the thing that allows a section of the stage to be raised or lowered, and “PA,” which stands for “production assistant.”  I think “PA” is just a fancy name for backstage helper, but I might have missed some of the nuances in the job description.

I also got to chat a bit with percussionist Otis Gould.  I was surprised to learn that behind the beige painted scrim on the platform at the back of the set there are only two musicians – Gould and pianist William Hubbard.  They sound like a larger band.  Sometimes during the show the lighting allows you to see Gould’s silhouette as he uses a long pole to pound out a rhythm on a hollow floor.  At certain points in the show this sound – along with the singing, dancing, and clapping – brings the audience to a feeling of shared ecstasy.

Sue and I also went to the opening night reception in the lobby.  We each got a lovely, full glass of champagne and a plate.  Each plate had four exquisite, round, little taste treats on them: a miniature, baked macaroni-and-cheese; a teeny deviled egg; a petite lemon meringue pie; and a decorated chocolate-covered cherry surrounded by custard.  When I win the lottery big, I am going to hire someone to make a plate of little treats like that for me every week.

“Crowns” continues at the Indiana Repertory Theatre through Saturday, May 2, 2009. 

Note #1: The show is 100 minutes with no intermission.  Those minutes fly by, IF you’re not physically miserable.  The ushers will tell you that because there is no intermission you may take the drink that you buy in the lobby into the theatre.  That is nice, but better yet is to take your yummy drink - your glass of wine, your beer, your fancy coffee, or whatever - in with you to the Prologue discussion 45 minutes before curtain time, and then use the restroom before finding your seat for the show itself.  You know I’m right.

Note #2:  This Saturday, April 25, the 5:00 performance is “Mother Daughter Day.”  Mothers, daughters, grandmothers, aunts, and so on may meet members of the cast after the show and snack on light refreshments.  If my goddaughter were old enough, this would be so much fun for us to do together!

There will also be post-show discussions with some of the cast after the April 26 and the May 1 performances.

Note #3:  The press kit that I received from the always cheerful and professional Molly Wible at the Will Call table included a press release from Kelly Young that says that near eastside residents of Indianapolis can enjoy certain performances of “Crowns” for only $10, thanks to a partnership between Chase bank and the IRT.   The special deal includes a $10 ticket to the show and 2 IndyGo one-way fare passes.  How cool is that!  Tickets can be purchased by calling 317-635-5252 or online at www.irtlive.com in the usual way, except that you must enter discount code CHASE.  Here are the Chase promotion performances that are left:

Tuesday, April 28, 2009, 7:30 pm

Wednesday, April 29, 2009, 7:30 pm

Thursday, April 30, 2009, 2 pm & 7:30 pm.

I believe there will also be Chase partnership performances for the IRT’s next two shows, ”Rabbit Hole” and “Interpreting William.” 

For more information and to make a reservation for any IRT show, please visit the IRT’s website at www.irtlive.com or call the box office at 317-635-5252.

By the way, speaking of yummy, Sue and I went to Zing Restaurant after the show for a drink and a snack.  The mahi mahi tacos are delicious.  AND there is a striking Kyle Ragsdale painting on the wall.  I love his work.

Hope Baugh – www.IndyTheatreHabit.com