Toni Stone was the first female professional baseball player. I did not know her story. Lydia R. Diamond’s play illuminates this groundbreaking woman now largely forgotten to history. She joined the Indianapolis Clowns in 1953 as part of the Negro League. Ms. Stone took over second base from Hank Aaron the year earlier.
In a series of time shifting and narrative storytelling, this fascinating tale unfolds. Born Marcenia Lyle Stone in Bluefield, West Virginia, Toni Stone knew early on she wasn’t boy crazy. She was ball crazy. “It is round and small and fits right in your hand.” In April Matthis’ exceptional portrayal, there is no shred of doubt about her commitment to the sport.
Appropriately nine actors will form the onstage team and play all of the characters in her orbit. Other than Ms. Matthis, they are all African American men. You should expect gender bias. The underhanded wheeling and dealing of professional sports will be chronicled. There will be racial problems when the squad ignores the prearranged plan. After beating a white team they run for the bus to get out of town fast. The simulated insults hurled at the players from the stands is rough terrain indeed. That’s because you’ve unfortunately heard most of them before.
You get more than what’s expected in this play. That’s good and bad. There is the interesting courtship between her and future husband Alberga (Harvy Blanks, excellent). We meet the Irish priest who convinced her parents to let her play with the boys early on. We also spend a considerable amount of time with a brothel madam who is apparently her best girlfriend. There is plenty of sexual innuendo. And when plot ideas run thin in Act II, there is a barrage of can-you-top-this “yo momma is so fat” jokes.
There are, however, some memorable lines in this play. One of my favorites concerned the inevitable aromas which Ms. Stone had to face traveling in buses during hot summers playing ball around the country. “Nothing is more foul than the sweat of a man you are annoyed with.” I loved that Toni Stone was extremely literal. This character trait fueled many jokes. When told she would not be thrown out of bed for eating crackers, she replies, “why would anyone eat crackers in bed? They’re too messy.”
Pam McKinnon’s direction keeps all of this moving along but is not able to hide that there is not enough story to fill two hours. The longer the play went on, the less engaging it was. I appreciated learning about and respecting this fascinating pioneer. The acting from the entire ensemble lead by April Matthis’ central performance was never less than stellar. From my seat, the play itself was just okay. I predict a movie will be made based on this rich historical material. With actual ball playing footage, Toni Stone might again get a hugely deserved moment in the spotlight of female heroes.