Toni Stone at the Huntington
Saturday, June 15 at 2:30 pm
Saturday, June 15 at 2:30 pm
Join us for a matinee on June 15 to see a great new play about the first woman to play at a professional player in the men's Negro League. Tickets are available at a special discount rate of $30. We will have lunch prior to the play at Lucie, a BOLLI favorite. Please contact Glenda Fishman gstarfish@aol.com to reserve your spot and pay for your ticket. Read below to find out more about the play.
Sypnosis from the Huntington: Toni Stone is an ace baseball player. Rejected by the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League because of her race, she becomes the first woman to play professional baseball on a man’s team in the Negro Leagues, shattering expectations and creating her own set of rules. Filled with humor and the love of the game, Huntington favorite Lydia R. Diamond, who wrote the play and directs it. knocks it out of the park with this beautiful, rich portrait of a trailblazing woman. Play ball!
The real Toni Stone was the first woman to play professional baseball in the Negro League. After Jackie Robinson integrated the major leagues and other black players slowly followed, Stone seized an unprecedented opportunity to join the ranks of the pros. She replaced Henry Aaron as the star infielder for the Indianapolis Clowns and later signed with the legendary Kansas City Monarchs. Stone played alongside some of the premier athletes of all time including Ernie Banks, Willie Mays, Buck O’Neil, and Satchel Paige. The play is based on the book Curveball by Martha Ackmann, which you can read more about below.