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Jersey Arts Podcast
Baseball History Inspires Young Audiences in 'Catching the Moon'
Catching the Moon: The Story of a Young Girl’s Baseball Dream is a musical based on the children’s book of the same title written by Crystal Hubbard. It tells the story of Marcenia Lyle, a young, Black girl growing up in the 1930s who went on to become Toni Stone, the first female to play as a regular for an all-male professional baseball team.
The Growing Stage in Netcong is only the second theater company to perform this inspirational show, so Jersey Arts spoke with actor Nyah Anderson, who plays Marcenia Lyle, and Steve Fredericks, Growing Stage Founder/Executive Director and the show’s director, to hear more about their production.
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Hi, I'm Maddie Orton and this is the Jersey Arts Podcast. Catching the Moon, the story of a young girl's baseball dream is a musical based on the children's book of the same title written by Crystal Hubbard. It tells the story of Marcenia Lyle, a young Black girl growing up in the 1930s who went on to become Toni Stone, the first female to play as a regular for an all-male professional baseball team. The growing stage in Netcong is only the second theater company to perform this relatively new show, so I spoke with actor Nyah Anderson, who plays Marcenia Lyle, and Steve Fredericks, growing stage founder, executive director and the show's director, about their production. Take a listen, Naya, Steve. Thank you so much for joining me today.
Maddie Orton:Thank you for having us. Yep absolutely. So let's start a little bit with the musical Catching the Moon, the story of a young girl's baseball dream and what it's all about. Can you guys sort of give me a brief synopsis of the show?
Steve Fredericks:Sure, it's based on the book of Catching the Moon that was written by Crystal Hubbard, and it's based on the true story of Marcinia Lyle, who had a passion for baseball and wanted to play, no matter what anybody told her. I mean, she was told you can't play because you're a girl. You were told you can't play professional baseball because you're black, and it didn't really matter to her. She followed her dreams and her passion, and her passion was, I think, stronger than anything, any wall that was put up before her, and she had the opportunity to actually play professional baseball. So it's based on a true story, and I think that was one of our goals when we found the piece, and what really attracted us to it was that it's based on a real story as opposed to a fantasy. This is something that any child can then take a look at and do further research on and be validated in their own hopes and dreams.
Maddie Orton:Because, it is true, We'll talk a little bit more about the ins and outs of it. But, Naya, a lot of the story too is her as a young girl kind of saying to her parents like no, I really want to do this, Please let me do this. And saying to a scout I really want to do this Is a big part of the show. Watching this young girl stand her ground and advocate for herself, would you say.
Nyah Anderson:Yeah, because she knew from the beginning of the show that she wanted to do this. This is her dream, this is who she is. She's a ballplayer. She's a baseball player. But I think throughout the show you see her kind of coming in contact with a lot of obstacles, a lot of people telling her no or telling her that this doesn't work in the world that they live in, and that's not the same world that she lives in. She knows what her goals are. She has clear guidelines and clear structure for what she wants for her life. And there are times where she's like you know, maybe everyone's right, maybe I shouldn't do this, and then something tells her no, something affirms her in the fact that she wants to do what she's always wanted to do. So she goes back to believing in what she had initially, but inevitably, yes, she's trying to stand her ground the entire time and other people are telling her no.
Steve Fredericks:It's great. So I actually I just read the book in anticipation of our conversation and the community for TYA, that you know that we do take risks. We take new material as well as those that are have already been adapted and are well known. And so he sent me the script and I read it and I immediately connected to it, because a big part of the storyline too is is Marcinia's relationship with her dad, and as a father that coached my daughter softball and all those and her other sports that she grew up in, such, I mean I thought that he was very protective of her. Yet in the same token he gives his blessing and that that father daughter connection that's in there I thought was beautiful, in addition to just the basic story itself.
Maddie Orton:And just to clarify you said TYA. Tya is Theater for Young Audiences.
Steve Fredericks:Theater for Young Audiences yes.
Maddie Orton:You know I've read the book but I have not seen the show or heard the music. This is the second production of this show that's been done, is that right?
Steve Fredericks:That's correct. It was done first at Charlotte, at the Children's Theater of Charlotte, but only recently, so we're really the second theater ever to produce it.
Maddie Orton:It's a very cool opportunity. Tell me a little bit about the music and how it fits into the, because I guess it's of a certain time period, right, did they lean into that, or is it a little bit more contemporary? What does it sound like? Or?
Steve Fredericks:is it a little bit more contemporary? What does it sound like? I think it's got a. You know, Naya, I think it has a blues element to it, especially the one song that's in the piece. It has that component into it, so it does kind of tie into that as well.
Maddie Orton:Naya, what about the songs that you sing? The music?
Nyah Anderson:that I sing. I'm basically singing the whole show. There are like a few songs that I'm not in, okay, but I think that that is a testament to her connectivity to her family and her friends and her community. But also the music is a little bit of a little jazz. It kind of has the feel of musical standards so it has like the hero's triumphant like ending is kind of the through line for a lot of my songs. So there's a she has this like thing that's trying to deter her, but inevitably she's like you know what, I'm gonna do it at the, basically at the end of a lot of the music. So I think that I I was singing through one of the songs, practicing one of my songs, near my friend and she was like oh, what is that kind of was really inspiring.
Maddie Orton:I love that. That's great. And I think that that's the yeah, it's a theater for young audiences, but it's for everybody.
Maddie Orton:Yeah exactly, absolutely. You are never too old to be inspired. I love that. So, naya, you play Marcinia Lyle, who grows up to go by Toni Stone, the first woman to play for an all-male professional baseball team. I was thinking it seems like an interesting challenge, because you're not only playing a character who is based on a real person, but then you're imagining that real person who you've never met as a child. How have you been sort of approaching that and, I guess, researching the character and thinking about how to do that?
Nyah Anderson:I think there's a level of humanity that I'm looking for in her lines and in her relationships with other people and how other people in the show describe her amidst like looking up and researching things. It's like it's kind of difficult because even trying to find some of the things, I'm like looking at pictures and trying to find as many interviews as I possibly can oh, that's cool. So it's like I'm still trying to find the connective tissue, but acknowledging that, like she started when she was 16, doing this is still something that's like that's so close to the age as a professional, I think right.
Maddie Orton:Yeah, this is still something that's like, that's so close to the professional, I think right yeah, like she was playing for money.
Nyah Anderson:That's amazing, and it wasn't necessarily like a lot of money, but that was the thing that made her parents be like you know what?
Maddie Orton:fine okay, fine, this is working.
Nyah Anderson:It's working, yeah, yeah but the nature of the story is still so true, like she wanted to play and she couldn't play and she watched people. Gabby Street was the guy that was like you know what fine she's been. Every day I see this girl sitting. She keeps trying to play. She wouldn't leave unless I let her play. So I gave her a chance. But yeah, it's a little difficult, but it's really fun to find ways to make it my own but also still make it very true to who she is.
Maddie Orton:Have you found anything in your research that you thought was especially interesting, like? One of the things I read was that there was a rumor, but it's like I think they can't decide if this is true or not. The satchel, page one. The satchel page, one which is so cool that she hit a fastball off the satchel page.
Steve Fredericks:Yeah.
Maddie Orton:But I guess these things become lore over time, who knows.
Nyah Anderson:Honestly, I think that that's the thing that's really nice about it, and I think that that's also a really cool thing that comes with hero stories or things of that nature. There's something that could be fictitious, but it also still is in the same lane as everything else that's realistic. So I mean that could have happened. I believe that that happened.
Maddie Orton:I love it.
Nyah Anderson:I think the thing that I thought was really cool was that she dropped out of high school to do this professionally, and I think that that's such a scary thing to think about for myself and really committing to a goal in that way, and what does that say about everything else that she's done thus far, and like how many other obstacles she came in contact with Because that could be. There's so many things that happen for women that are tied to the education system and the fact that she's not necessarily connected to that directly, even though she still is very intellectual and she loved the library and she loved to read and she loved history. There's like a disconnect because of the fact that she didn't get the degree that they were looking for, in the same way that she doesn't have the qualifications to play baseball in the way that they're looking for. But she's like I'm going to still do whatever I want to do because I believe that this is my purpose and this is my destiny. So I thought that that was like oh cool, so yeah.
Steve Fredericks:You know, it's fascinating too is that when she did retire, then she went back to school and became a nurse.
Steve Fredericks:So she actually got her nursing degree afterwards. So I mean that and that was in the mid fifties she just decided all right, I did it. I don't know if she ever would get it out of her system, so to speak, but she didn't feel like she was being respected or getting enough playing time, and that's what made her decide that I'm going to move on. But she made it. She broke that wall. What's fascinating too, maddie, is that when she actually made it to the major Negro leagues, she actually replaced Hank Aaron at second base, who a generation later would have to face his own obstacle by breaking Babe Ruth's home run record. Wow, the racism that he had to face, not only the fight that he had to go through in order to go into Major League Baseball, but also then, years later, when he had achieved hitting over 716 home runs for a career, the hate mail and everything that he would threats that he was getting for breaking Babe Ruth's record. So it's interesting that those two have that connection of, you know, breaking down walls.
Maddie Orton:Interesting that those two have that connection of you know, breaking down walls. Yeah, it's interesting because it made me sort of think of the you know, the intersectionality of all this. So Tony Stone is born 1921, plays professional baseball from the 1940s through early 50s, which sort of creates a circumstance, because she's a young woman, she's black, in a segregated country and she comes from a family that doesn't have a lot of money. So there's this intersection race, class, gender. And I was thinking about Naya, what you were saying about her leaving school. I think her parents are probably thinking school is your only way to elevate yourself economically. But she's sort of breaking through that and saying like, as a 16 year old, no, I know better than you, mom and dad. And she ends up being right. And I wonder is it interesting to look at a story like hers through those different lenses of race and class and gender?
Nyah Anderson:I think that it's valuable to acknowledge the entire story, because I think that a lot of the things that I was seeing as far as the research goes, they're kind of keeping only some of it's like a highlight of each thing. So we know that she got to play professionally in the major men's Negro League, but it isn't like encompassing everything else that came up to that point. Or we're starting at 1953. We're not starting at 1941. And there's so much. There's so much that happened to her over the course of that time. And also to acknowledge that there is so much that she had to go through to get to where she was. And even when she was there, she was still sitting on the bench with people that hated her, with people that still didn't believe that she could do the things that she was doing. They even had her coming and playing more so for crowd appeal, not even because of the fact that she was a valuable player for the team. So I think that if you dismiss any part of the story, you're not acknowledging her humanity and everything that she went through to get here, which I think is also really interesting in playing her in the musical, because it's like it's from the guise of a child's perspective.
Nyah Anderson:So like, even though we are talking a lot about her being the first girl, there is so many small points in time where she's being deterred and like, okay, it's coming up because I'm a girl, but I know that it's also coming up because she's black and a girl and 10 and all of these other things. So there's an ageism. There's so much that's like on top of this thing that's happening for her. And then later in life to know that she ended up playing. But they were like you kind of can't play because you're not in the age group. So she was like, oh no, I'm 17. I'm not 27. Now it's the complete opposite. We're changing. There's so much happening that I think is so intricate to her specific story Open doors for other people to not be able to come in, super easy. But they had the door open in the first place. It wasn't completely locked for them.
Maddie Orton:Right, and even when she is playing professional baseball in the Negro leagues, people are saying that you're a woman. I was reading that fellow players were basically saying like go home and cook for your husband and stuff like that.
Steve Fredericks:And she couldn't even play that nostalgia of league of their own. She was barred from playing in the women's professional baseball league because of her color. So I mean, and she was probably, you know, probably would have been a star on that level alone. But even that door was shut to her. And when they did try to, when they initially drafted her and were going to hire her for the Indianapolis team, they wanted her to wear a skirt or they wanted her to wear, you know, suggestive clothing as a way to appeal to the crowd, and she refused to do it.
Nyah Anderson:Yeah.
Steve Fredericks:So she had that strength there. I mean she's saying no doors open to her. She didn't say, all right, I'll do whatever I have to do. There was a line, there was a definite line there and you have to respect that, that strength of hers to be able to establish that line, not only for herself but for anybody else that was going to follow.
Maddie Orton:Yeah, she's a really amazing person and everything I read about her I just wanted to learn more and more, which I should say that you know. Obviously, this is theater for young audiences, but also I think parents would really find this fascinating. One of the things that I really like about the story and about it being a musical for young audiences is I think it really teaches kids to advocate for themselves. Is that a big part of the musical as well?
Nyah Anderson:Yeah, I definitely think so, that she is finding her niche and there's a lot, lots of ways like it isn't like she just asks and then they say no and then she's like, okay, she's constantly trying to find ways like if you saw, if you see, if I I'm not just about the words, I'm gonna, I'm about action have a plan. I have follow through and I also like have all of these other things to back me up. I know how the game works, I know the nomenclature, I know the structure, like she's very familiar with what she's wanting to do and there's like a very like strong tenacity that she has at like honestly, probably younger than 10. But we're catching her at like 10.
Maddie Orton:Yeah, and I think you know a big part of the book anyway, which I assume is in the musical is her parents saying like don't you want to be a nurse or a school teacher or you know? And they're talking about like you know, what are the options available to her? And her basically just sort of saying like I know what I want to do and this is what I'm going to do, and advocating to her parents and, I guess, the boys on the team, because she has to let get them to let her play in the first place, and then to the scout as well yeah, but I think too which I liked in this piece that Nicole Jackson, who wrote the book and and the lyrics, with Tyrone Robinson who did focused in on the music, is within the parents offering those other suggestions.
Steve Fredericks:It's not necessarily to deter her from her dream, as much as it is, I think, to protect her from being hurt because of, maybe, what they faced already. And so there's that connection between parent and child. They're not saying, no, you can't do this because you can't. No, don't do this because we don't want to see you. Hurt is more emotionally than physically.
Maddie Orton:It's interesting because now that I'm a parent, I was looking at the story and I was thinking, because they do seem to have a really nice relationship, her and her parents, and you do sort of put yourself in the parents' shoes and think, yeah, she's going a really hard path and I could understand her parents saying this is going to be hard for you. Wouldn't you rather do this other thing? And I thought it was a really interesting lesson for parents as well, that maybe your 16 year old sees the world differently than you and you kind of just have to listen.
Nyah Anderson:Yeah, and I think that there's some testament to seeing something fully out before excluding it or dismissing it as an option, because there is so much danger to what she wanted to do. Like you're going to be in this space where people don't even really see you as a person, let alone as a professional baseball player. So then there's all of that, and then there's the woman to the man and the danger of that relationship. So there's so many things happening, and then she's young and the travel. There's so many things happening, and then she's young and the travel. There's so many things that can come up for that and all of these things on top of the racism and all of the systems that are coming against her. So for them, it's like there's so much fear around just being able to live a fruitful life, let alone being able to live a career that you're dreaming of, right?
Nyah Anderson:I think that they had to see so many different things before they were able to accept it and I know, like my parents are kind of like you know, I'll let you do it, but you have to do it has to be the best. You can't like this, isn't? We're not just doing this for fun. There are very few things we just do for fun. You have to be committed to doing this. You have to show, you have to show up. You have to be on time, because that's kind of the nature of being black in america. You have to be the best. You have to be better 10 times better than everyone else to be able to at least be considered.
Maddie Orton:And that's unfortunate, but right along the lines of the show itself, ste. It sounds like you're a baseball guy. Naya, are you a baseball person? I?
Nyah Anderson:am not.
Maddie Orton:Are you faking it? I really hope so.
Steve Fredericks:Yes, she is, she's got a good swing. She's got a good swing.
Nyah Anderson:I was like I think when I was younger I literally tried everything. Me and my cousin used to play every sport. I did like karate, I swam for a few years, I played baseball, I like tennis and golf and I did everything. And then I remember my uncle was like okay, let's try the baseball thing. And he threw the ball at me and it just missed my face. I was like I'm never doing this, I would never play this sport.
Maddie Orton:I feel like that's the theater kid pipeline story right there. That is, I feel like I feel like that's the theater kid pipeline story right there. I cannot even tell you how many sports I mean parents are going to listen to this but cannot even tell you how many sports my parents put. You know, we tried tennis. My dad would take me on Saturdays and I would be like this is, this is not, this is not fun at all. We did soccer for like a season and I remember I would sit there and braid the blades of grass together, and I remember I would sit there and braid the blades of grass together.
Nyah Anderson:And that's like what I did. I loved like I really loved soccer, I love tennis and I loved cheerleading. But I remember there was a time where I was doing too many things and my mom was like, okay, so this, this time, we're not going to sign you up for soccer. Do you want to play basketball or do you want to do dance? And I was like, oh, dance. And then that was the end of the sports, it's just great to dance and theater and singing.
Maddie Orton:Well, maybe I'll circle back. Maybe you're going to find like the second love of your life and it'll be baseball, and your parents will be so excited.
Steve Fredericks:And Steve, you coached baseball and your parents would be so excited. And Steve, you coached, oh yeah, well, I have three kids and so they all play different sports and such. But yeah, my mostly I've coached my daughter in basketball and in a softball and she did soccer as well, so she was real into sports.
Maddie Orton:Nice, have you been able to be helpful with Naya's swing?
Steve Fredericks:No, she didn't need it, she has a good. She played tennis. It's that tennis swing. It all looks good. Now it makes sense.
Maddie Orton:Like when you're a trained actor you can do anything. I believe that.
Nyah Anderson:It's going to be on her resume before you know it. It probably already is on my resume.
Maddie Orton:Oh yeah, I should say I mean on is on my resume baseball? Oh yeah, I should say I mean on my theater resume.
Steve Fredericks:I'm an excellent athlete, yeah, yeah, there's a lot of skill sets. I'll tell you. As a director, we look for those unique things and just throw them at the actor when we talk to them.
Maddie Orton:Yeah, I always hope nobody's gonna actually call me on it, but it did happen to me one time I had.
Nyah Anderson:I think I had gymnastics on my resume and she was like, okay, do a cartwheel into a split. Like okay. And at the time I was like, yeah, I really want it. I did the cartwheel. She was like, oh, just because you were going to do it, nevermind, I don't need to see it.
Maddie Orton:Oh, what a life lesson to all the actors out there.
Nyah Anderson:Oh my gosh.
Maddie Orton:Oh my gosh.
Steve Fredericks:You have to be prepared.
Maddie Orton:Steve, I've had the pleasure of seeing shows at Growing Stage and it is such a beautiful sort of just magical space for people who are going to have their first Growing Stage experience. What sort of age group is it for? What can you expect from theater for young audiences in that sort of I don't even know how to describe like magic, castle-y, imaginative, beautiful theater that you have?
Steve Fredericks:oh, thanks well, yeah, I mean, it is a restored vaudeville theater that's over 100 years old and we've restored it to look like a jewel box type of size.
Steve Fredericks:It's nice, it's intimate.
Steve Fredericks:We don't usually have more than 250 seats there, so there really is not truly is not a bad seat in the house.
Steve Fredericks:Everything we do is aimed at young people and their families, so that the whole experience tries to be as welcoming as possible, not only for our artists, but also for the people that you know we have the privilege that they're walking through our doors. You know, to use it in technological terminology, the growing stage is user-friendly. What we try to do is create our productions so that they are accessible to an entire family, so that, while it may be targeted by the playwright for a specific age, we make sure that it's on all levels, has elements of interest for the adults as well as an older or younger sibling, because we want it to be a shared experience. That's what really makes theater magical is not only what you see as an audience member, but what you share with those people, that they're coming sitting beside you, and we've always tried to say that our goal is not just to create a moment in the theater, but to create a memory for the family that sees the show together.
Maddie Orton:I love that so much. Well, I'm so excited for you guys. It sounds like a really tremendous show and, as we said, inspirational for kids, but inspirational for adults as well. I think it'll be really great.
Steve Fredericks:Thanks, yeah, it's a fascinating story and the fact that it's true, I think really it truly resonates today and it's an important message to share.
Maddie Orton:Yeah.
Maddie Orton:Thanks so much, guys. Thanks for your time. Thank you, maddie. Thanks to Naya Anderson and Steve Fredericks for joining me. Thank you, maddie. Be sure to give us a review, subscribe and tell your friends. A transcript of this podcast, as well as links related to content and more about the arts in New Jersey, can be found on jerseyartscom. The Jersey Arts Podcast is presented by Art Pride New Jersey, advancing a state of creativity since 1986. The show is co-founded by and currently supported by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. This episode was hosted, produced and edited by yours truly, maddie Orton. Executive producers are Jim Atkinson and Isaac Cerna-Diaz. Special thanks to the Growing Stage. I'm Maddie Orton for the Jersey Arts Podcast. Thanks for listening.
