Cape Fear Regional Theatre (CFRT) ends its 2025-26 season by taking audiences to church.

Crowns—the 2002 musical written and directed by Regina Taylor, the actress and playwright with a Golden Globe Award and NAACP Image Award—is akin to a full-on gospel concert.

The CFRT production, an adaptation of a 2000 book by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry, runs Thursday through May 31.

“You feel the Holy Spirit moving throughout doing this play,” said actress Alexis Janae, who plays the leading role of Yolanda. “Being able to sing these songs I heard growing up and have this kind of spiritual awakening during rehearsal is something I’ve been loving. I’ve cried more during this rehearsal process than I ever have, and it’s not tears of sadness—it’s tears of community, tears of feeling seen, tears of being surrounded by women that are experiencing the same thing that I’ve experienced and, and having that sense of love.”

Named for the dazzling hats Black women don during Sunday services, Crowns is rooted in Black church tradition and identity. Beyond the uplifting soundtrack, the presentation is a tale of faith, loss, laughter, and the women whose elegance and strength are an inspiration.

This is the fan favorite’s second appearance at CFRT, after much success during the 2017-18 season. An extra week was added to this run to accommodate its popularity.

“Having this show in this space is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before,” said Ashley Owen, the theater’s marketing director. “The audience talks back, responds, and sings the songs. I have such vivid memories of when we did it the first time; having sold out houses. I have never sat in a theatrical performance where the audience responded and reacted to the show the way they did with Crowns.”

The story is told through the eyes of Yolanda, a young New Yorker sent to South Carolina by her mother after experiencing a family tragedy. After moving to live with her grandmother, Mother Shaw, Yolanda is introduced to a circle of hat-wearing church ladies.

Rather than following a singular plot, the musical unfolds as a series of tales, tunes, transitions, and testimonies centered around these strong females, their headwear, and what those crowns symbolize in their lives. 

“I’m old enough to have had that experience of mentoring a young person,” said Cassandra Williams, who embarks on her second appearance as Mother Shaw.

“Getting a grandchild who has been wounded and nursing her back to health is a very real experience that a lot of people can identify with, because of circumstances in the family. I always consider it an honor [to play Shaw]…she was a real person. And her legacy for what she did in the church is something people still talk about—of her being a prayer warrior and mentoring other young women.”

Williams said the audience learns and grows from the wisdom of the matriarchs portrayed in the play.

“We have these elders that have so much history and so many nuggets of information that are just beyond what we could ever imagine,” she said. “It’s important that we just take a beat and listen, because you’ll find that there’s so much more that you didn’t even know, that you can’t find in a history book, or that you can’t see on the internet.”

Director Allyson Tucker said the musical offers something for everyone regardless of race or religious background.

“It’s about heart, it really is, and our accountability to one another,” Tucker said. “That transcends everything. It has no boundaries unless you put them up. And if you’re putting them up, we’re going to try to continue to tear them down, because boundaries are what continues to separate us horribly in this world.

“This is something we need in a time like this. It’s healing.”

Preview performances of Crowns are Thursday and Friday, with Opening Night on Saturday. Tickets are $20 for the previews, $32 on weekdays, and $39 for weekend showings. Members of the military and teachers receive a 25% discount on May 13 and May 15, respectively. Catch the production at the CFRT’s temporary location at 1707 Owen Drive as renovations progress at the theatre’s home in Haymount.

For more information, visit Cape Fear Regional Theatre or call the box office at 910-323-4233. Tickets can be purchased in person at the new offsite office at 310 Green St., which is open from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. During performances, the box office will open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, moving to the Owen Drive location at 5:30 p.m.