"To succeed in life you need three things-
a wishbone, a backbone, and a funny bone."
-Reba McEntire
the glorious world of crowns, kinks and curls
WRITTEN by Keli Goff
Directed by Tina Kelly
May 5-20, 2023
Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 p.m.
Sundays at 2 p.m.
Performances will be held at the Arts Factory at West End Studios
Single Tickets and Flex Passes Available Now!
Advance Purchase Online: $25 inclusive of all taxes and fees
Night of Show at the Door: $30 inclusive of all taxes and fees
Students and Teachers: $15 inclusive of all taxes and fees
Discounted pricing available for groups of 10 or more, contact us at info@threebonetheatre.com to learn more
This show contains some adult language and themes, including trauma to Black women, recommended for ages 14+
“The Glorious World of Crowns, Kinks and Curls is not just a play about hair, but about identity and the quest for equality. As such, it is a play all should see and celebrate.” – Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
From Afros to braids, weddings and funerals, falling in love to grieving a loss, this collection of monologues and scenes serve as a powerful reminder that for Black women in particular, hair is both deeply personal and political. In the tradition of The Vagina Monologues and For Colored Girls..., The Glorious World of Crowns, Kinks and Curls features voices of Black women from around the globe recalling unforgettable moments in their lives in which their hair – and their complicated relationships with their hair – took center stage. These heartbreaking, heartwarming and hilarious stories will take audiences on an unparalleled journey into the world of Black womanhood.
This show contains some adult language and themes, including trauma to Black women, recommended for ages 14+
What People Are Saying
Lynn Nottage, Pultizer Prize-Winning playwright
“Twisted, curled, fried, picked and plaited, Black women have always had an adventurous and creative relationship with our hair. The Glorious World of Crowns, Kinks and Curls is a funny, heartbreaking and ultimately healing play about the role hair plays in unbraiding, shaping and celebrating our Black identity.”
MD Theatre Guide
“A beautiful, empowering play, celebrating the perseverance, creativity and sisterhood behind the sacred act of doing one’s hair.”
NPR
“Lively... The play explores many themes... not in a didactic way. Keli Goff's characters are engaging and they're wide-ranging. The play includes serious, important material about race and gender and yes, it is a good hair day.”
Meet the Artists
Tina Kelly
Director
A native Charlottean, Tina Kelly is the epitome of home grown talent. Graduating from UNC-Charlotte with a BA in Theater, she has always thought of herself as a theater maker. Starting with assistant stage managing with Actors Theater Charlotte and Children’s Theater Charlotte, moving to stagemanging for the likes of Three Bone Company and OnQ productions and many others, Tina has made it her mission to align herself with any and all theater in Charlotte.
Continuing in theater administration and producing at Queen City New Play Initiative, Tina has proven herself a jackie of all trades. .She’s directed in theater festivals from Donna Scott Productions and Women's Theatre Festival. She also has directed in town at her alma mater UNC-Charlotte as well as other local theatres here in Charlotte.
“I take pride in going through the process in different roles. I love how it offers me new insights on how to continue to create theater in an intentional and impactful way. My favorite thing is going back to theatres that have formed me as an artist and going back as a director. It really does show the evolution of my artistry and how I want it to continue. I'm so happy to be back with Three Bone as a part of this evolution."
Keli Goff
Playwright
Keli Goff is an internationally recognized multi-platform journalist and screenwriter, best known for chronicling the intersections of politics, pop culture, race and gender in America. In 2019, she was nominated for two Emmy Awards for her work as a producer on the Netflix film Reversing Roe, a documentary chronicling the history of America’s political and legal battles over abortion.
A lifelong theater fan, Keli's career as a playwright began when she submitted her first play Redeemed to the legendary Public Theater of New York. A recipient of the Public Theater's Emerging Writers Group Fellowship, Keli spent 2014-2016 developing new material at the legendary artistic institution best known for producing Shakespeare in the Park. In Spring 2021, Baltimore Center Stage began streaming the world premiere of her play, The Glorious World of Crowns, Kinks and Curls, a celebration of black women's hair stories, to great acclaim. Keli’s plays, which often focus on intersectionality, and the ways race, class, gender and politics impact our closest relationships, have received staged readings at theaters across the country.
Born and raised in Texas, Keli now splits her time between Manhattan and Los Angeles. She holds a B.A. from New York University and a Master’s degree in Strategic Communications from Columbia University.
Learn More
Pretty Ponytails
Pretty Ponytails
PrettyPonytails is a 501(c)3 community non-profit organization. We offers services to ensure that young girls feel good about their appearance, self esteem and confidence. We believe that when girls feel good about themselves, they will perform better in school and social settings to help them succeed and excel academically, socially and in the future.
The CROWN Act
Crown Coalition
The CROWN Act, which stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair,” is a law that prohibits race-based hair discrimination, which is the denial of employment and educational opportunities because of hair texture or protective hairstyles including braids, locs, twists or bantu knots.
