Juneteenth: Huntington’s “Toni Stone” production celebrates culture through art

The Juneteenth federal holiday marks the end of slavery in the United States, but it’s also an opportunity to celebrate Black Culture in our community. Boston 25 News recently visited Boston’s Huntington Theatre to share how they’re doing that... through art.

The theatre’s recent “Toni Stone” production explores the real story of a woman who broke barriers in the sport of baseball. Stone was rejected by a girls baseball league because of her race, so she became the first woman to play professional baseball on a men’s team in the Negro Leagues.

“It’s, you know, just one of those pieces of history that everyone needs to know about,” said Huntington’s Community Engagement Manager Oz Pereira.

As he explains, it was the perfect performance for a Blackout Boston production.

“‘Blackout Boston’ is our ongoing series of Black theater nights. We do this for plays that meet a set of, three criteria: 1) The play is written by a Black playwright. 2) The cast is a predominantly black cast. And 3) the story or the narrative being shared is part of the shared Black experience,” Pereira said.

The theatre reached out to the community to get the word out to groups of all sizes, cultivating an audience that can not only share the show together, but share a cultural history and experience as well.

“In those evenings within a Blackout Boston crowd, there is no need to hold back. You’re going to be around surrounded by people who are family,” Pereira said. “It’s really interesting and beautiful what simple eye contact and a nod can do for another person.”

Before the show, the audience was treated with tea and flowers. After the show, guided meditations and guest speakers made the experience complete.

“We understand that the topics being dealt with on that stage are quite serious and personal, and we want to create a space where we’re being responsible and providing a healing space,” Pereira said.

“Toni Stone” is one of a handful of Blackout performances scheduled, hoping to open up a new dialogue, and new hearts to the theater.

“It almost becomes like this, this concert in unison between the audience and the stage. And it’s truly magical. And you just don’t get that in any other genre of entertainment,” Pereira said.

“Toni Stone” wrapped up live productions at the Huntington on June 16th, but you can watch the show streaming online for several weeks.

The link to the digital stream of Toni Stone is here (available to stream through July 14).

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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