[rating=5] Baseball! Everyone loves baseball, don’t they? Baseball was known as Americas sport and at one time, going to a game was a day out, dressed up, no matter the temperature. For those of you unaware of the facts, baseball was very “segregated” until the” Color Barrier “was broken by one Jackie Robinson thru the Brooklyn Dodgers organization. But, believe it or not, there were Black players before that, but in a league of their own- the Negro League. Back in the early days of baseball, before the Major Leagues came to be, there were baseball teams all over the country, after all, it was “America’s Sport”, and depending what part of the country you were in as to if the teams allowed both Black and White players to play on the same team.In 1885, since baseball teams excluded Black players, another league was formed. Its first team was the Cuban Giants and there were no Cubans on the roster. They were indeed the first Black Professional Baseball team. They went by bus from town to town and played against other teams just like them. Their league did not do well financially as they could not get people with money to spend to their games. They were kind of in the shadows until the 1920’s when the Negro National League came to be. They now had structure, planned schedules and management. While they had their own fields, there were times that they were not allowed to use because the local government needed their land. In 1932, this league ended.
The nest time they truly saw the light at the end of the tunnel was during the war ( World War II). With many people going to war, and baseball losing a great many players, baseball came to a standstill. Yes, there was women’s league, but the Negro league grew much faster. Workers were in better financial shape, allowing them the luxury of attending a game and watching people “like them” play the National Pastime! Of course, when Jackie Robinson came up, we saw the world of baseball change, for good!
“Toni Stone” now onstage at The Goodman Theatre’s Albert stage takes us thru the 1920’s- 1940’s Negro ;league and a little different story. Toni is a female player in a man’s world. She can play and is terrific, but she is a woman. Lydia R. Diamond takes us through these years and allows us to watch her struggles with the owners, the other players, the fans, her family and her lover.
Tracey N. Bonner makes one heck of a ball player and under the direction ( the very smooth direction) of Ron OJ Parson, you will feel as if you are behind the dugout at the friendly confines. The team name is the CLOWNS and their caps look very close to our Cubbies ( in color and total appearance. It could have been a director or costumer (Mara Blumenfeld) joke as they may be Sox fans) joke or just a coincidence.
The story takes us through her playing years, meeting her boyfriend Albergo (Chike Johnson), her “Millie” ( an amazing performance by Jon Hudson Odom),and the players , who also take on other personas along the way.
They are terrific and can play ball as well: Kai Ealy, Joseph Aaron Johnson, Travis A. Knight, Victor Musoni, Edgar Miguel Sanchez, Terrence Sims, Jabari Khaliq and Matty Robinson.. There is one scene, when the Black owners decide what to do with the “girl” player. These guys had a ball doing this scene and came very close to breaking up completely. They held their own and got the scene done with style and grace and a beautiful feeling for the sold out audience.
The technical aspects of the production are priceless. The set(Todd Rosenthal) looks like a minor league ballpark and the projections on the scoreboard (Mike Tutaj) real. The lighting (Keith Parham) and sound ( Andre Pluess, who also did the original music) sheer perfection.
The movement design and intimacy consultation by Cristin Carole is important to this wonderful piece. We get into some depth in Toni’s relationship with Millie and the two performers do their jobs at a very high levelBoth Odom and Bonner should be on the Jeff Award list this year!
Even if you are not into baseball, you will find this production a delight to watch. Yes, you will also get educated, but you will see a cast of players that will exceed your expectations when it comes to a sports play- I know they did mine. When Parson gets a script like this the magic begins! This is a story of guts, determination and of reaching up for that which is yours to grab!
“Toni Stone” will continue at The Goodman Theatre’s “Albert Stage” thru February 26th with performances as follows:
Wednesdays; 7:30 p.m.Thursdays : 2:00pm & 7:30pm
Fridays : 8:00pm
Saturdays ; 2:00pm & 8:00pm
Sundays ;2:00pm & 7:30pm
Sun, Feb 26:2:00pm only
For Enhanced and accessible performances visit www.GoodmanTheatre.org/Access
Stage: Albert Theatre Goodman Theatre is located at 170 N. Dearborn Street
Show Type: Drama
Box Office: 312-443-3800
Discount parking is available-see their website for more info
To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Toni Stone:.
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