“Girls without a source of income become women who find money in unfortunate ways.” The life of Marcenia Lyle Stone is laid bare in Playhouse on Park’s biographical production of Toni Stone, written by Lydia R. Diamond and directed by Jamil A.C. Mangan. This play tackles themes of women excelling in a man’s world and the struggles it provides, as well as the plight of the African American in the United States. It reminds us that barriers have been in place from the beginning of time, but “sometimes you have to reach” to get where you’re heading.
Toni Stone is the first woman to go pro in baseball’s Negro Leagues. Toni grew up at a time when, even with the shifts in the country’s practices of segregation and the impacts of the feminist movement, Black citizens’ rights were more like suggestions and a woman’s place was still outlined—and obedience required. Being Black and woman was plight enough without adding a passion for something that was outside of the realm of what was deemed appropriate for a woman in her time, and in a sector that wasn’t welcoming to her race. Against all odds, she created a place for herself among the Black men of the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League— her boys. Toni (Constance Sadie Thompson) finds out just what she’s made of in this historically potent and culturally rich production.
The men of the Indianapolis Clowns aren’t just baseball players. They don’t get to just play the game. They become proverbial soldiers and watchmen tasked with a vigilance that their lives depend on. Toni learns the ways of the world through her connection to her boys: Stretch (Adeyinka Adebola), King Tut (Tony N. King), Elzie (Jamar Jones), Spec (Celester Rich), Jimmy (Bernard Scudder), and Woody (Nathaniel J. Ryan). Their relationship to each other is held together by a collective understanding of their passion for the sport they share and the position they hold in a world that has not yet learned to embrace them. Tensions fly when games are lost, when racial interactions with other non-Black players are stirred up, and even when Toni does too well in a game.
Toni finds a confidante in Millie (Brandon Alvión), a working girl, who teaches her more about the ways of the world, but from the perspective of a woman who has seen more of the darkness of humanity than Toni’s very specific experiences have allowed her to know. Millie also serves as a catalyst for Toni’s relationship withAlberga (James Edward Becton, III), a well-off, older gentleman who positions himself at the edge of Toni’s life waiting for a chance to insert himself into her story.
Thompson’s exploration of Toni’s life education against the backdrop of her naïveté creates a palpable tension, giving audiences someone to root for—someone to protect. Scudder, doubling as Father O’Keefe from Toni’s childhood, transitions from the simple-minded Jimmy with limited speech to an incredible Irish twang. Becton is villainous in his portrayal of the dominant force that enter’s Toni’s life to puppet her brilliance, even convincingly delivers a juxtaposing show of support and protection that redeem his character.
Alvión is fantastic in his depictions of Millie’s nuances, offering a full range of emotion from stoic and worldly to pained and delicate, while managing to deliver petty catharsis in between. Ryan is compelling and insufferable, playing against our desire to root for Woody as one of Toni’s boys. The cohesion of the entire cast offers a view into Toni’s world and the world in the time they lived.
Johann Fitzpatrick’s scenic design coupled with Vilinda McGregor’s costume design and Judi Manfre’s props and set dressing, creates a solid foundation for the shifts in Thompson’s storytelling. The field serving as the base of the set is a poetic choice for the changing scenes—as is the choreography of Maurice Clark. Clark’s offerings to the movement of the team, in what are essentially theatrical interludes of visual poetry, creates a feel that ties together the emotion of the production in a masterfully knotted bow— with emphasis added by Johann Fitzpatrick’s lighting design and Rachel Landy’s sound design.
This production explores themes of identity and vision, citing examples of both in a time when what a person of a specific race and gender could achieve was already mapped out for them. Toni Stone implores us all to reach in the direction of our dreams, no matter what might be ready to slap our hands away.
Toni Stone runs through June 16th. For tickets, visit http://www.playhouseonpark.org/ and if you’re lucky, you can experience an audience-led sing along of Dream a Little Dream of Me.
