The unstoppable ‘Toni Stone’ made baseball history

By Rich Fahey

BOSTON – Stage the show in a  city where the history of pro baseball dates back to 1871.

Have the heroine be a woman who made history on the field and whose passion for the game shone like a blazing star.

Put the story in the hands of Lydia R. Diamond, who wrote the play and directs,  and sit back and watch everything come together.

Diamond has chosen to make her debut as a director at a major regional theater with The Huntington’s production of her own original play “Toni Stone.” Diamond’s work was inspired by the book “Curveball: The Remarkable Story of Toni Stone” by western Massachusetts journalist and author Martha Ackmann, which details Stone’s role as the first woman  to play in a male baseball league in 1953; the roster spot she filled with the Indianapolis Clowns was formerly that of the legendary  Hank Aaron.

Diamond’s decision makes perfect sense on several levels. She has made The Huntington one of her artistic homes, and the chance to direct at the historic Huntington Theatre with a superb cast and an excellent corps of designers and theater artists was too much to pass up.

She has made the absolute most out of it; “Toni Stone” is a powerful, inspiring look at both the national pastime and those who made tremendous sacrifices just to be able to play it – including a trailblazing woman.

Macenia Lyle “Toni” Stone was born in St. Paul, Minn in 1921. Jennifer Mogbock is a force of nature in the title role, rattling off the stats of the great players at will as easily as recalling her own personal highlights, such as getting a hit off Hall of Famer Satchel Paige.

She breaks down the fourth wall and engages us directly from the opening scene, when she waxes poetic while explaining in detail how the ball feels in her hand.

While Toni has always been at home growing up with a bat or glove in her hand, life off the diamond has not  been as smooth.  Toni’s mother is constantly trying to steer her daughter into more “ladylike” pursuits, but Toni persists in pursuing her dreams, even crashing a group of young white boys being coached by a legendary former major leaguer.

She spends many years honing her craft, but she is rejected by the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League because of her race and fills in on men’s teams, often barnstorming with them, but never signing an actual professional contract until 1953.

What makes “Toni Stone” work so well is the great good humor Diamond has sprinkled throughout the piece; the banter between ballplayers is often raunchy and crude, but often devastatingly funny.  The ensemble of ballplayers inhabit not only their own characters but several others, including a number of white characters, such as Syd Pollack. the owner of The Clowns, and a white priest who recruits Toni for the parish team.

The other Indianapolis players are an eclectic mix of personalities.  Ryan Vincent Anderson is King Tut, a bigger-than-life presence who is looking for his next opportunity to join the major leagues. Bobby Cius is Jimmy, the team’s newest member who is a little timid but plays fast and hard.

Anthony T. Goss as Elzie talks tough but whose swagger attempts to covers up his closeted sexuality. Al’Jaleel McGhee is Woody, a left-handed pitcher and self-proclaimed ladies’ man.  

In a recent performance, Dom Carter was Spec, the smartest member of the team, rumored to have an extraordinary physical asset. Blake Anthony Morris is Stretch, the team’s organized and methodical catcher, manager, and coach, and Olutayo Bosede plays Rufus.

Stanley Andrew Jackson is Millie, the prostitute who provides a safe haven  for Toni and becomes her first real female friend; Millie’s advice and counsel become paramount as Toni struggles to adjust not only to her teammates but to life off the diamond.

Toni’s energy and passion eventually attract the attention of Alberger (Jonathan Kitt), a Jamaican businessman 25 years her senior. A relationship develops awkwardly but steadily until love blooms. And love eventually blooms.

Diamond has surrounded herself with a bevy of accomplished theater artists, including Boston native and renowned dancer and choreographer Ebony Williams, who turns baseball into both a graceful ballet and an athletic showcase.

The set by Collette Pollard provides the perfect backdrop for the players, with fences and walls festooned with ads, and bleachers that can double as seats on the team bus.

Mara Blumenfeld’s costumes are period perfect, the uniforms ringing true to the style of the era; Brian J. Lillenthal’s lighting, Aubrey Dube’s sound design and Lucas Clopton’s original music are perfect complements.

Diamond doesn’t shy away from the racism and indignities that often made life in the Negro Leagues a kind of baseball hell on earth. When they barnstormed, The Clowns often struggled to find a place to stay, especially in the South. They were expected to entertain as well as excel, and the stress of trying to do both weighed heavily on the players.  Toni is both a ballplayer and a novelty, and constantly struggled to earn the respect of her teammates and other players.

There is a harrowing scene when the players, heads covered, become fans hurling vicious racial slurs from the stands.

“Toni Stone” is a love story on several levels, the primary one between a woman and a sport. She never took “no” for an answer and eventually found her way into baseball history.

The Huntington’s production of “Toni Stone,” an original play, written and directed by Lydia R. Diamond, based on “Curveball: The Remarkable Story of Toni Stone” by Martha Ackmann. At the Huntington Theatre. 264 Huntington Ave., through June 16. Huntingtontheatre.org.