Toni Stone NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (247)
See it if You’d like to see a show that is interesting and told in an unusual way although it needs some serious editing to make it a stronger story.
Don't see it if You can’t sit through a lot of sidetrack storylines that don’t get flushed out while on your way to the main story. Read more
See it if captures rhythms of baseball team thru offbeat kinetic choreography; poetic tribute 2 playing baseball; A Matthis' fine perf humanizes Toni
Don't see it if by 2nd Act show starts 2 run out of steam; sexist confrontations w teammates predictable; upbeat ending contrived
See it if u want to see Matthis in a solid at-bat as the 1st female Negro Leaguer in an illuminating (if dry) lesson in racism, sexism & baseball.
Don't see it if ur hoping for a compelling, electric theatrical event worthy of the intriguing subject; u prefer action to exposition. Read more
See it if you are willing to sit through a lot of aimless storytelling for some thrilling group movement & 1 chilling “production number.”
Don't see it if you are looking for the story of Negro League baseball. Read more
See it if April Matthis stars and she is very good as are the 8 other actors.
Don't see it if If you have no interest in baseball or its history. Very simple set (bleachers). Read more
See it if You are interested in learning more about the first female professional baseball player
Don't see it if You are expecting this play to focus on the critical parts of Toni stones baseball career Read more
See it if you possibly can.This is 1 of my favorite shows this season.Cast is 100% solid.Staging is clever but not obtrusive.Story is funny/touching.
Don't see it if you want a big musical.This show has a lot to say and says it in an entertaining, way.Drew me in from the first second.Mattis is brilliant.
See it if you want an introduction to a woman who broke down gender barriers for an extended time. A must see show.
Don't see it if you want polished writing that identifies and sticks to what should be its main topic. Read more
Critic Reviews (24)
"'Toni Stone' is at its considerable best whenever, like its main character, it’s at its most unconventional. The spiky rhythm of Pam MacKinnon’s direction; the unvarnished quirkiness of the eight-man ensemble supporting Ms. Matthis; the astonishing, dancelike movement (by Camille A. Brown) that expresses the game without mimicking it — all contribute to the feeling that we’re learning something new, but also in new ways...Ms. Matthis’s characterization holds everything together."
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"Unfortunately, this play seems more intent on theatrical frippery than telling a compelling story...The writing's presentational style becomes too cutesy by far...The story theater-style approach doesn't serve the esoteric material well, and anyone not already familiar with the subject matter is likely to feel lost at times...The performers' frequent miming of ballplaying moves, which at times morph into full-blown dance, eventually proves more tiresome than invigorating."
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‘Toni Stone’ Review: A Pioneer of America’s Pastime
Lydia R. Diamond affirms her status as an exciting, serious writer with this play about the first black woman to play pro baseball.
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“Lydia R. Diamond has created a mesmerizing narrative overlaid onto the rhythm that is baseball...Her writing, combined with the supple choreography of Camille A. Brown, the guidance of Pam MacKinnon, and a cast delivered from heaven creates a quiet play that soars like an opera...This is a trifecta of great theatre - a good script, direction that pays attention to detail, and a fine cast...An evening of hope and inspiration combined with just the right amount of remonstrance."
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"Compelling, solidly performed, must-see play...April Matthis gives a stunning, highly polished performance as the literal-minded Toni...Director Pam MacKinnon captures the social tensions of the era and shows how racism permeated Toni's life off and on the field...More than just providing illuminating theater and timely social commentary, 'Toni Stone' gives long overdue credit to a woman who had to fight as hard as or harder than any man in her sport just to play the game she loved."
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"Toni Stone's story is a unique and telling one in American culture. The strength of Diamond's play comes in the parallels she draws between the bouts with racism that bond the woman with her teammates and the sexist attitudes that separate them. But a clearer narrative is needed before Toni Stone proves worthy of its inspiring subject."
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"If nothing else, 'Toni Stone' unearths a fascinating, underreported aspect of baseball history while simultaneously delivering one of the more memorable heroines of recent months….it unearths a story one instantly wants to know more about; the most difficult thing about it is that it leaves one wanting rather more than it offers."
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"There's also lots of small talk, very small, and in the process, we don't really get to know Toni, or anybody, very well. She's strident and confident and defiant, and Matthis plays her with not much variety...'Toni Stone' should be about empowerment and fighting the odds and being one's own person at all costs, and what baseball fan wouldn't like to know more about the Negro Leagues? That's all up there, but it's so muted. Diamond's rambling dramaturgy keeps bobbling the ball."
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