Roundabout Theatre Company unhinges the silence surrounding the trophies and excellence of the first woman to play professional baseball in the Negro League, Toni Stone.
With its playwright by Lydia R. Diamond, Toni Stone’s narrative is beautifully extended by Obie Award winner, April Matthis — theatrically tying baseball stats to the ugly nuances of the time. The play tackles identity politics, and Stone’s pursuit for a seat in the dugout, and place alongside men she plays harder than on the field.
Matthis’ matter-of-fact approach towards Stone’s love for the game brings the athlete’s most-inner reflections to center stage, both personally and professionally. The leading lady’s all-star castmates Eric Berryman (Stretch,) Daniel J. Bryant (Spec,) Toney Goins (Jimmy,) and Phillip James Brannon (King Tut) spotlight restrictive barriers set in place by white counterparts and the tenacity to navigate in baseball, despite it all.
Director Pam MacKinnon kept the momentum of the book Curveball, The Remarkable Story of Toni Stone by Martha Ackmann, which the play is based upon. And beyond bolstering the voices of the Negro Leagues’ unsung champions, Toni Stone’s cast straddles crossing ages, gender variances, and choreography from the Tony-nominated, Camille A. Brown. The production of sporting events documents Stone’s time with the San Francisco Sea Lions, Indianapolis Clowns, and Kansas City Monarchs.
Each of which triggers a vital conversation regarding obstacles historically positioned in front of Black women, past and present. Withal, Stone maintains her need for independence onstage, even following falling head-over-heels in love with Alberga, played by Harvy Blanks. Their vintage love story was enriched deeply by Millie, portrayed by actor, Kenn E. Head. Cuing the notion that we seldom get far in life alone, Millie presented a glowing testament to the power of sisterhood.
The time-stamped costume design by Dede Ayite was intricately woven into the plot of Toni Stone, encompassing the personality of each unique figure. All in all, Stone’s remarkable arm and a knack for baseball encyclopedia facts propelled one of the most astounding legacies, in not only the Negro Leagues but baseball overall. In closing, Roundabout Theatre Company proved Toni Stone had good reason to challenge the once headlined notion, “She can’t play with the boys.”
