Inside TSU 2015 | Page 32

THINGS HAPPENING ON CAMPUS HATS Told the Stories in 2014, Returning May 8th and 9th, 2015 Tickets: www.tsu.edu A star studded cast of Houston’s top entertainers, soloists and performers was chosen for the production of the national stage play “Crowns” that came to Texas Southern University February 28 and March 1. The show, which drew one of the largest crowds to date in TSU’s newly renovated Sawyer Auditorium, was a gospel-fused celebration of song and imparted wisdom as women come together to save one of Brooklyn’s troubled youth. Set against a tapestry of music and dance, Crowns tells the story of a young African American girl named Yolanda who is stricken by tragedy, relocates to the rural South to live with her church-going grandmother and is engulfed in stories about the magnificent women and how their distinctive hats illustrate their individual experiences. Crowns is based off the book of the same name by photographer Michael Cunningham and the oral history of Craig Marberry. It was brought to the campus by TSU’s HATS and TIES Committee. The acronym HATS and TIES stand for, Honoring Academically Talented Scholars…to Impact & Engage Students, a mentoring program that raises money for student scholarships and other support programs and services. 32 | SPRING 2015 InsideOneTSU Magazine.indd 32 4/6/15 5:36 AM