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Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater marks the opening of a new season with the inspiring story of .
The play, which originally premiered in San Francisco, was postponed due to the pandemic, and is now back with live performances and a special at Nationals Park. Written by the award-winning playwright , in a timely adaptation of the book 鈥淐urveball: The Remarkable Story of Toni Stone鈥� by Martha Ackmann, Diamond sheds light on the pioneer that history had long forgotten.
Like most, you鈥檙e probably wondering, who is Toni Stone?
鈥淎nyone who knows should know who this woman is,鈥� said Diamond. 鈥淭oni Stone is the first Black woman ever to play professional baseball.鈥�
Born Marcenia Lyle Stone in West Virginia in 1921, Toni grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she cultivated a strong arm and a love for baseball. As a talented athlete in the 鈥�40s, Toni played 聽for many semi-pro leagues. With dreams of going pro and zero chances of integrating with the 鈥渨hite-only鈥� , she reinvented herself to stay in the game. She changed her name to Toni, shaved ten years off her age, and even dressed in men鈥檚 clothing.
鈥淪he was one interesting contradiction after another,鈥� said Diamond. 鈥淭here was no paradigm around her asserting herself as someone who was transgender or gay. Toni rolled how she rolled.鈥�
In 1950, broke color barriers in the Majors, creating an opportunity for women to play in the . Recruited as a gimmick to draw fans, Toni was the first of three women to join. Her journey as the first woman to cross the gender line in American baseball was no easy feat. Toni endured substantial harassment from opponents, critics, and even her fellow teammates. While most people would have succumbed to the challenges she faced, Toni persevered.
Her endurance paid off in a major way when she signed her first pro contract in 1953. The Indianapolis Clowns recruited Toni to replace as second baseman – making her the first woman to play professionally on a men鈥檚 team and the first woman to ever play professionally in the big leagues.
Toni played more than 50 games during the season and landed , . In 1954, the Clowns traded Toni to the Kansas City Monarchs, where she played one season before retiring.
For decades, Toni鈥檚 accomplishments fell short of public praise. It wasn鈥檛 until 1993 that she was inducted into both the and the International Women鈥檚 Sports Hall of Fame. She died at the age of 75 in 1996, but the work to keep her legacy alive continues.
鈥淚 am so excited to introduce Toni鈥檚 story to a new generation of people who never heard of her,鈥� said lead actress Santoya Fields. 鈥淭hrough Toni鈥檚 story, we can see how far we still have to go.鈥�
As a Black woman stepping up to the plate, Fields said she was forced to confront how deeply challenging it is to be black and a woman in America.
鈥淢any times throughout this process, I thought about and , and and their experiences in this journey,鈥� said Fields. 鈥淭his play is allowing us to redefine and reshape our idea of female athletes and what it means to be strong.鈥�
The play runs September 3 – October 3, 2021, in the Kreeger Theater, commissioned by and and directed by .
Audiences will also have the opportunity to watch Toni Stone take the center field in a special video simulcast on September 26 at Nationals Park.
