Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 2-18-22

Feature
Local Women Can Match ‘The Church Hats’ That You’ll See In ‘Crowns’
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
From the days of First Lady Mamie Eisenhower and her pillbox hats, to First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis, and Queen Elizabeth of Eng- land, and her more colorful hats, African American women have always consid- ered themselves dressed to ‘the nines’ when they put on hats and gloves for worship on Sunday, or the Sunday af- ternoon teas, even brunch on Saturday.
There was a period when some women dropped back from wearing the hats and gloves, but women born in the ’30s, ‘40s and ‘50s, to this day, many of them, still have to put on hat and gloves to be dressed.
Most younger women are not going to wear a hat or gloves – no matter who around them does. Not un- less it’s a sporty hat. Number 1, they don’t want to distract from their ‘hair-do;’ and they believe that it gives them the appearance of being older.
One ‘Tampa socialite,’
These are some of the hats from Ms. Clark’s collection.
MS. JANET CLARK ...In one of her unique hats
we’ll call her, has been keep- ing the women who are still looking for unique and dif- ferent hats supplied with the latest in ‘crowns.’
Ms. Janet Clark, a re- tired Math professor (33 years, Hillsborough Commu- nity College), has supplied unique and different hats that African American women desire for many years. Over the years, she has used vendors from all over the country to get hats. She at one time owned a shop, Elegant Hats By Janet, where women could shop and order their hats.
Ms. Clark’s inspiration and fascination of hats came from her “aunt and grand- mother who always covered their heads. As a youngster I’d say when I get older I’m goingtogetajobtobuyme clothes and hats,” she says with a chuckle.
A display of Ms. Clark’s hats was used in the Winter edition of the Straz Center’s Inside magazine. An array of hats is modeled by Ms. Clark, Sandra Nelson and
Alma Rhea Purify, all members of her church, First Baptist Church of College Hill; and Ms. Betty Kin- sey.
“I loaded the trunk of my car with a variety of hats for them to choose from for the display. We were glad to do this for them,” she said.
Ms. Clark says wearing hats is not just fashionable, “but it’s to give reverence to the Lord. As older women, we should set an example when we praise...We should dress our best when we enter the house of the Lord,” she says in the magazine.
Starting on Thursday, February 17th, Crowns will be on display at the Straz’s Jaeb Theater, through March 6, 2022. Ms. Clark is ex- cited about the production and plans to be in atten- dance.
About ‘Crowns’
With a strong female-dri- ven cast, this musical about fabulous hats is a spring- board to an African Ameri- can cultural journey. When Yolanda is transplanted
from Brooklyn to South Car- olina following a family tragedy, she meets a circle of women who share with her the importance and power of their crowns.
The first in this year's se- ries of Straz-produced shows, this not-to-be-missed musical is a celebration of song, dance and history – topped off with “hattitude.”
Helping to bring this show to life in the Jaeb The- ater will be Clareann De- spain, the Straz’s producing manager, who said, “Crowns celebrates Black heritage and resilience and music and attitude;” and di- rector Bob Devin Jones, a 40-year theater veteran and founder of Studio@620 in St. Petersburg.
The choreographer for the show is Alex Jones, founder of the St. Petersburg dance company project, ALCHEMY.
Costumes will be by Saidah Ben Judah, who worked at the Public Theater under Joseph Papp.
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