Layon Gray's THE GIRLS OF SUMMER to be Presented at Delaware Theatre Company
Performances will run from October 22 to November 9.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Oct. 01, 2025
Delaware Theatre Company will continue its 2025/26 Season with Layon Gray's The Girls of Summer, which sheds light on the untold story of the Red Diamonds, an all-Black female baseball team in 1946.
On stage from October 22 to November 9, The Girls of Summer follows the Red Diamonds as the team prepares to challenge the reigning champions, the Racine Belles, in a historic showdown. Disaster strikes when their beloved coach mysteriously vanishes. What begins as a fierce pursuit of victory soon descends into an unraveling of secrets – betrayal and deception threaten to destroy everything they've worked for. Winner of the prestigious NAACP Award for Best Play, this gripping drama will keep you on the edge of your seat, questioning the cost of victory.
"When I first saw that scene in A League of Their Own – the one where a young Black girl catches a fly ball in the stands and hurls it back to the field with astonishing power – my heart stopped. She stood there, excluded, yet possessing raw talent just as good as the other girls, but not allowed to join their league because of the color of her skin. That moment haunted me. What if? What if those talented African American women had their chance to play an exhibition game against the champions of the all-white league? This question birthed The Girls of Summer. My play isn't just baseball – it's about women who sacrificed everything for those who would come after them,” Layon Gray remarked. “The story unfolds through flashbacks, revealing layers of mystery, darkness, and ultimately, profound love. I'm thrilled to bring my third historical work to Delaware Theatre Company, where audiences have embraced my previous plays with such emotion. This story burns in me. I can't wait to share it with Wilmington.”
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