FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

CONTACT:  

Gabrielle Jaques, Publicist 

gjaques@huntingtontheatre.org 

617-273-1520 

PHOTOS available for download here 

Members of the press, RSVP here 

THE HUNTINGTON ANNOUNCES CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM  OF TONI STONE,  LYDIA R. DIAMOND’S GRAND-SLAM ORIGINAL PLAY ABOUT A BASEBALL TRAILBLAZER  

The Huntington announces the regional premiere of Lydia R. Diamond’s new play inspired by the life of the first woman to play professional baseball on a man’s team in the Negro Leagues  

(BOSTON) – The Huntington announces the cast and creative team of Toni Stone, a tenacious and inspiring original play written and directed by Lydia R. Diamond and inspired by the book Curveball: The Remarkable Story of Toni Stone by western Massachusetts journalist and author Martha Ackmann. The production runs from Friday, May 17 through Sunday, June 16, 2024 at the Huntington Theatre (264 Huntington Ave).

Based on Ackmann’s book, Diamond’s uplifting new play follows the experiences of Toni Stone, an ace ballplayer who knows her stats and has a great arm. 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 Diamond knocks it out of the park with this beautiful, rich portrait of a trailblazing woman.

“I am so pleased to be back at The Huntington!” says playwright and director Diamond. “Toni Stone is a play that is especially close to my heart. A woman with a singular focus who, through hard work and tenacity, realized her dreams. This fabulous theatre has once again helped me realize mine… To direct a play that I am so proud of, in the warm embrace of a theatre that feels like home, and in a town that loves baseball as much as our fearless Toni did!”

Called “a grand slam!” by Broadway World and “Entertaining! Toni Stone bursts with the joys of life,” by The Chicago Tribune, Toni Stone makes its New England debut at The Huntington this spring, closing out a homerun first season of artistic programming for Huntington Norma Jean Calderwood Artistic Director Loretta Greco.
Greco says, “I love this play as much as I love baseball. The return of beloved playwright Lydia Diamond to The Huntington is cause alone for celebration – but combine it with her latest based on the real life story of the indomitable Toni Stone, the first woman to play professional baseball in the male baseball league – during actual baseball season, and in America’s most baseball-loving city – and the result is pure joy!”

Boston native and renowned dancer and choreographer Ebony Williams will choreograph the baseball in Toni Stone, bringing the movements of the game to life on stage. Known as one of the two dancers matching Beyoncé in the iconic “Single Ladies” music video, as well as the Associate Choreographer for the musical film In the Heights, Williams has danced and choreographed with some of the biggest names in Hollywood and was named “one of the top 25 dancers to watch” by Pointe Magazine. Much of her early training took place in Boston at the Roxbury Center for the Performing Arts, Boston Ballet School and Citydance, and Boston Conservatory.

The cast of  Toni Stone  includes:

Ryan Vincent Anderson as King Tut, the celebrity of the team who is looking for his next opportunity to join the major leagues. Credits include Peter Pan Goes Wrong on Broadway and the Broadway Tour of The Play That Goes Wrong.

Bobby Cius as Jimmy, the team’s newest member who is a little timid but plays fast and hard. Credits include K-I-S-S-I-N-G with The Huntington and Front Porch Arts Collective and Pass Over with SpeakEasy Stage.

Anthony T. Goss as Elzie, a tough-talking ballplayer whose macho swagger often covers up his closeted sexuality. Credits include Gong Lum’s Legacy and Cowboy Off Broadway.

Stanley Andrew Jackson as Millie, Toni’s confidant and closest friend. Credits include The Refuge Plays with Roundabout and Book of Will with A Noise Within Theatre Company.

Jonathan Kitt as Alberga, a Jamaican businessman who is drawn to Toni’s mind and energy. Credits include Boy x Man at Negro Ensemble Company and Becoming Something: Canada Lee with The Kraine Theater.

Al’Jaleel McGhee as Woody, a left-handed pitcher and Casanova that sometimes fails to arouse. Credits include the National Tour of A Soldier’s Play with Roundabout and Intimate Apparel with Northlight.

Jennifer Mogbock as Toni Stone, star player of the Negro Baseball Leagues for nearly a dozen years. Credits include: The Half-God Of Rainfall with New York Theatre Workshop and Merry Wives with the Public Theater.

Omar Robinson as Spec, the smartest member of the team. Credits include: Common Ground Revisited and Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead at The Huntington.

Blake Anthony Morris as Stretch, the team’s organized and methodical catcher, manager, and coach. Credits include: Ain’t No Mo’ with the Public Theater and The Hot Wing King with Studio Theatre.

Olutayo Bosede as an ensemble member and dance captain. Credits include: Moulin Rouge! The Musical on Broadway and The Wiz Live! on NBC.

Understudies include: Dominic Carter, Todd McNeel, James Ricardo Milord, Hassiem Muhammad, and Eunice Woods. 

The creative team for  Toni Stone includes scenic design by Collette Pollard (Little Women in co-production with Seattle Rep and Milwaukee Rep), costume design by Mara Blumenfeld (The Jungle Book at The Huntington), lighting design by Brian J. Lilienthal (Common Ground Revisited at The Huntington),  sound design by Aubrey Dube (Fat Ham at The Huntington), and hair, wig, and makeup design by Earon D. Nealey (Fat Ham at The Huntington). The dramaturg is Charles Haugland. The choreographer is Ebony Williams, the vocal and dialect coach is Kim James Bey, and the fight director and intimacy consultant is Ted Hewlett. The associate director is Devin Christor. The production stage manager is Emily F. McMullen and the stage managers are Lucas Bryce Dixon and Pat-rice Rooney.

Toni Stone was Commissioned by Roundabout Theatre Company and Samantha Barrie, and originally Produced by Roundabout Theatre Company, New York, NY in association with Samantha Barrie. Toni Stone received development support from the Resident Artists Program at Arena Stage, Washington, D.C.

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT AND DIRECTOR 

Lydia R. Diamond is an award-winning playwright whose works include: The Gift Horse, Toni Stone, Smart People, Stick Fly (Broadway), Voyeurs de Venus, Harriet Jacobs, The Bluest Eye, The Inside, and Stage Black. Her work has been performed at companies including: The Huntington (Stick Fly, Smart People [Premiere], The Bluest Eye), American Conservatory Theater, Congo Square, Steppenwolf, Alliance Theatre, Arena Stage, Company One, Writers Theatre, McCarter Theatre Center, New Victory at The Duke (Off Broadway), Guthrie Theater, Roundabout (Off Broadway), Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Second Stage Theater (Off Broadway), Hartford Stage, Long Wharf Theatre, True Colors, MPAACT, Arden Theatre Company, Encores! at City Center (New York), Intiman Theatre, and PlayMakers Repertory Company. Diamond has been a W. E. B. Du Bois Institute Non-Resident Fellow at Harvard, a Sundance Playwright Lab Creative Advisor, a Radcliffe Institute Fellow, a Sally B. Goodman Fellow, and a National Endowment for the Arts/TCG playwright in residence. Awards include: Horton Foote Prize, Joseph Jefferson Award, IRNE Award Nomination, Elliot Norton Award Nomination, Audelco Nomination, Kilroy’s List, Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Finalist, LA Critics Circle Award, and National Arts Club Kesselring Prize for Playwriting. She was a Consulting Producer and writer for Showtime’s 4th season of The Affair and nominated for a Writers Guild Award for best Drama Episode. She has also written for NBC, HBO, HBOMAX, and Hulu. Diamond has an Honorary MFA from A.C.T., and an Honorary Doctorate from Pine Manor College. She sits on the Dramatists Guild Legal Defense Fund Board and The Dramatists Guild Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access Committee. Diamond is an Associate Professor of Playwriting at University of Illinois in Chicago.

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION FOR TONI STONE 

WHEN 

Performances: May 17 – June 16, 2024
Select Evenings: Tues – Thurs at 7:30pm; Fri – Sat at 8pm; select Sun at 7pm
Matinees: Select Wed at 3pm; select Sat and Sun at 2:30pm
Days and times vary; see complete schedule above.

Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes, including one intermission

Press Opening: Wednesday, May 22, 2024 at 7pm (RSVP here)

WHERE
Huntington Theatre
264 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115

TICKETS

Tickets start at $30. FlexPasses are also now on sale:

• • online at huntingtontheatre.org
  • by phone at 617-266-0800;
  • or in person at the Calderwood Pavilion (527 Tremont Street) or the Huntington Theatre (264 Huntington Ave)

Select discounts apply:

• $10 off: season ticket holders
• $40 “HYPE” tickets (Huntington Young Patron Events) for patrons 40 years-old and younger (valid ID required)
• $25 student and military tickets (valid ID required)

Please note that a digital recording of this production will be made available for online viewing. Details to come at huntingtontheatre.org/whats-on/toni-stone/

The Huntington asks that any patron experiencing COVID symptoms stay home and contact ticketing services for more information about exchanges.

ACCESS PERFORMANCES FOR TONI STONE 

Tickets are $20 for each patron and their guests. To reserve tickets please email access@huntingtontheatre.org, call ticketing services at 617-266-0800, or in person at the Huntington Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston MA 02115.

Accessible performances are supported in part by the Liberty Mutual Foundation.

OPEN CAPTIONED PERFORMANCE: Tuesday, June 4 at 7:30pm. The Huntington offers open captioning at designated performances for any patron who benefits from having the text of spoken dialogue visible in time with the play.

ASL-INTERPRETED PERFORMANCE: Friday, June 7 at 8pm. The Huntington offers American Sign Language interpretation at designated performances for patrons who are Deaf or hard of hearing.

AUDIO-DESCRIBED PERFORMANCE: Saturday, June 15 at 2:30pm. The Huntington offers audio description for patrons who are blind or low-vision at designated performances. Please visit  huntingtontheatre.org/accessibility/accessibility/  for information.

Large Print and Braille Programs will also be available for patrons at performances.
MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA 

Any members of the media who are interested in speaking with the artists of Toni Stone, please contact Publicist Gabrielle Jaques at gjaques@huntingtontheatre.org or 617-273-1520. 

 Press night for critics is Wednesday, May 22, 2024 at 7pm. Please RSVP here for press night or other available performances. 

Production photos will be available for download online, and b-roll footage can be requested. 

 PHOTOS available for download here 

TONI STONE SPECIAL EVENTS 

“Stage & Screen” A League of Their Own at Coolidge Corner: Monday, May 20

The Huntington and Coolidge Corner continue their “Stage & Screen” collaboration with an event on Monday, May 20 at Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, MA. After a 7pm showing of A League of Their Own (directed by Penny Marshall, 1992), guests from The Huntington’s production of Toni Stone will host a post-screening discussion.

Tickets to the Stage & Screen film and post-screening discussion can be purchased here: coolidge.org/films/league-their-own 

HYPE (Huntington Young Patron Event): Saturday, May 18

The Huntington’s “Huntington Young Patron Events” program (HYPE) hosts an afternoon event at 2pm on Saturday, May 18 at the Roberto Clemente Field (in Boston’s Back Bay Fens, Clemente Field, Boston, MA 02215).

Tickets to performances of Toni Stone are available for those 40 and under at $40 each with promo code DISCOUNT online at huntingtontheatre.org, by walk-up at the Box Office at the Huntington Theatre or Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA, or by calling ticketing services at 617-266-0800.

Humanities Forum: Sunday, June 2

The Huntington hosts a post-show discussion after the 2:30pm matinee performance on Sunday, June 2 at the Huntington Theatre (264 Huntington Ave).

Blackout Boston: Tuesday, June 11

The Huntington will host a Blackout Boston evening for those who identify as members of Africa’s Global Diaspora (persons who identify as descendants of Africans dispersed throughout the world).

The Blackout performance will take place on Tuesday, June 11 at the Huntington Theatre (264 Huntington Ave). More information will be announced soon.

Blackout Boston is an opportunity for Black identifying audiences to experience live theater that feels resonant to the Black experience in a space where their community is the majority. If you have questions about this event or other community events, please contact Huntington Community Engagement Manager Oz Pereira: opereira@huntingtontheatre.org.

Tickets to this performance are Pay What You Wish.

Actors Forum: Wednesday, June 12

The Huntington hosts a moderated, post-show discussion with the cast after the 3pm matinee performance on Wednesday, June 12 at the Huntington Theatre (264 Huntington Ave). Hear actors from Toni Stone reflect on their roles and nuances of each character.

Monday 5/27: MLB The Show 24 Tournament w/ One Up Games 

Hosted in partnership with One Up Games, The Huntington will host a MLB The Show 24 video game tournament at the Huntington Theatre (264 Huntington Ave) to celebrate athlete Toni Stone, who now is a playable character in this popular video game.

ABOUT THE HUNTINGTON  

Celebrating over 40 years of outstanding theatre, The Huntington is Boston’s theatrical commons and leading professional theatre company. On our stages and throughout our city, we share enduring and untold stories that spark the imagination of audiences and artists and amplify the wide range of voices in our community.  

 Under the leadership of Norma Jean Calderwood Artistic Director Loretta Greco and Executive Director Christopher Mannelli, The Huntington is committed to welcoming broad and diverse audiences, provides life- changing opportunities for students through its robust education and community programs, is a national leader in the development of playwrights and new plays, acts as the host organization for a multi-year residency of The Front Porch Arts Collective, a Black theatre company based in Boston, and serves the local arts community through our operation of The Huntington Calderwood/BCA.  

 The Huntington reopened the historic Huntington Theatre in fall of 2022 after its transformational renovation, and is currently in phase two of the project; the renovation and building project of this storied venue with a bold vision for the future will allow us to innovatively expand our services to audiences, artists, and the community for generations to come. For more information, visit huntingtontheatre.org.  

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