1999–2003: Theatre, indie films and television Stone made her debut in
repertory theatre in Christopher Sergel's dramatic adaptation of the
Harper Lee classic of racial tensions set in the backdrop of 1930s
Alabama,
To Kill a Mockingbird, playing
Scout Finch with Leslie Marshall portraying her adult version. The play was directed by Roxanne Barker, presented by the National American Shakespeare Company and staged at the Knightsbridge Theatre in
Pasadena, California during the 2000-2001 fall season. The play was received poorly by critic Dany Margolies in a scathing review for
Backstage, noting the cast indicated their characters' emotions, and panned the overall direction. "Barker could trust her actors and her audience more in the acting department," he concluded. She had a guest appearance on
Knots Landing: Back to the Culd-de-Sac as Molly Whittaker in 1997, a supporting part as Alicia Geiger (the adopted daughter of Dr. Jeffrey Geiger played by
Mandy Patinkin), diagnosed with a fatal
heart murmur in the
final season of
Chicago Hope on
CBS in 1999, and was featured as Chrissy, Ruthie Camden (
Mackenzie Rosman)'s school friend who plagiarizes her story for a class competition in Season 4, Episode 20: "Liar, Liar" in 2000. At 11, she was cast in a recurring role as Young
Brenda Chenowith (the adult version portrayed by
Rachel Griffiths) Her debut appearance was in Episode 5 of
Season 1, written by
Alan Ball and directed by
Kathy Bates, which aired on 1 July 2001 on the
HBO network. She would go on to appear in Episode 6, scripted by
Christian Taylor and directed by
Rodrigo Garcia, As a troubled woman, the show delves into glimpses of Brenda's past and how she was mistreated by her parents in childhood who were sexually open with their children. The film was submitted in January for competition at the
Slamdance Film Festival in
Park City, Utah, which was attended by the cast. the
Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival in July 2002, and the Music Box which Stone attended. Reviews were generally unfavorable. Writing for
Film Threat, Mariko McDonald was mixed. She praised some of the cast, though noted that only the first half held her interest. Scott Foundas of
Variety was also largely negative and Ted Shen of
Chicago Reader called the film "tasteless lunacy." Then, at the age of 11, she landed the lead as the voice of Stanley Griff, a 6-year-old boy with a unique interest in learning about animals, in the
Disney animated series,
Stanley co-starring
Charles Shaughnessy as his best friend (a talking goldfish), Dennis. The cartoon premiered on the
Playhouse Disney block in September 2001. She would reprise the role in the Disney Online game,
Playhouse Disney Preschool Time Online, released to public libraries in the summer of 2006 and marketed to investors at the
American Library Association (ALA) Conference in
New Orleans in June. She appeared as Sydney in the short film,
Wheels Locked, directed by Dave Bergeson, which was filmed in an abandoned hospital at
March Air Force Base in
Redlands, California. the Fargo Film Festival, the Rhode Island International Film Festival, the Granada Theater in
Dallas, Texas, and the Rochester International Film Festival. Stone also lent her voice to
Marcie in the
ABC holiday special,
A Charlie Brown Valentine, which
Variety noted was largely faithful to
Charles M. Schulz's original creation. She then guest starred as Narra,
Dennis Christopher's daughter in
Season 1, Episode 21 of
Star Trek:Enterprise, directed by
David Livingston and broadcast on
UPN in April 2002. The episode was received with generally favorable reviews, notably by critics Jamahl Epsicokhan Tim Merrill reviewing for
Film Threat was mixed, writing that he was unable to make much sense of the story, though it was received positively at other screenings. with
Rachel Hirschfeld and Ian McQuown. She expanded her voice acting into
anime, lending her voice to Midori the
Racoon dog in
New Generation Pictures' English dub of
Angel Tales, ADR directed by Reiko Matsuo and produced by Jonathan Klein, and the orphan angel from the "Abandoned Factory," Dai in
Haibane Renmei, a
slice-of-life fantasy based on the manga by
Yoshitoshi Abe. Produced by Reiko Matsuo and adapted by Jonathan Klein and
Taliesin Jaffe, the series was released on DVD by Geneon USA in 2003.
Anime News Network's Theron Martin received the English dub positively, though Zac Bertschy of the same publication criticized the "poor acting and line delivery on a few of the children [actors]." Stone also portrayed
Louisa von Trapp (alternating with Kia Atsales) in the Canyon Theatre Guild's
The Sound of Music, directed by TimBen Boydston, which was performed from May through June 2003. Margie Anne Clark of
The Signal highlighted the child actors as "a talented troupe of young people." In October 2003, she appeared as Miss Mistletoe in the opening sequence of the Christmas holiday film,
A Light in the Forest: The Legend of Holly Boy, directed by John Carol Beuchler and loosely adapted from the 1988 children's book by Frank Latino.
2004–2009: Anime dubs and musical revivals When she was 14, Stone was cast in
New Generation Pictures' English adaptation of
R.O.D the TV, created by
Hideyuki Kurata, directed by
Koji Masunari for
J.C. Staff and ADR directed by
Taliesin Jaffe with Jonathan Klein serving as producer. In the show, Stone plays an
English 12-year-old boy, Junior (a.k.a. Special Agent J), Critiquing the later episodes, his opinion was more or less the same, noting that Stone was "somewhere between fair and good." Despite these criticisms, the series was given a Dub of the Year honor by
Dub Review's Anime Dub Recognition (ADR) Awards in early 2005. At 16, Stone appeared as Little Sally in the Actors' Repertory Theatre of Simi's revival of
Urinetown, directed by Greg Zerkle and which opened at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center in June 2006. Rita Moran, reviewing the show for the
Ventura County Star was positive, writing that Stone's Sally was "firmly planted in reality." The same year, she provided the English voice for Shoukichi Hitotsubashi, the moody younger brother of the
kami heroine, Yurie in
Hideyuki Kurata and
Koji Masunari's
Kamichu!, animated by Bésame Mucho and ADR directed by
Patrick Seitz for New Generation Pictures. The overall dub was positively received.
ANN believed that New Generation Pictures was faithful to the original version, adding that the cast nailed their lines. In 2007, Stone played Parker in the ensemble production of Carter W. Lewis' play,
Picasso Does My Maps, which was directed by Lisa Guzman, produced by the Vox Humana Company and staged at the Pico Playhouse. The
Los Angeles Times named the production "ambitious" and that Parker was "an eerily perspicacious orphan." In 2008, she was cast in Alan Neal Hubbs' stage adaptation of
Ray Bradbury's
Fahrenheit 451, produced by Bradbury's Pandemonium Theatre Company. The play premiered at the Fremont Centre Theatre in April, which was scheduled to close in May. However, it was extended through June and August and was re-staged in October through November. It was extended once more through December. Most of the original cast returned. The production was generally well-received. Stone played the supporting role of 17-year-old Clarisse McClellen with David Polcyn interpreting the lead, fireman Guy Montag who is challenged by Clarisse's rebellious worldview (Montag was alternated by David Mauer and Lee Holmes in the extended run). backstage of
Fahrenheit 451 at the Fremont Centre Theatre, including
Mageina Tovah, David Mauer, Stone, Michael Prichard and Roses Prichard in August 2008
American Chronicle reported that the opening weekend performances were attended by Bradbury. Journalist Joyce Schwarz, writing for
Hollywood2020 singled out Stone and Polcyn's performances in a glowing review. The
Los Angeles Times was mixed, believing that the technical features and directing "doesn't quite pull it all off." In December 2008, she played Imogene Herdman in the holiday regional play,
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, based on the classic novel
of the same name, adapted for the stage by Barbara Robinson and directed by Vicki Conrad at the Knightsbridge Theatre. Critic David C. Nichols writing for the
Los Angeles Times felt the play was unpolished, though noted the Herdmans were enjoyable as the would-be stars. She was further cast in a guest role as a teenage girl in a coma with severe
alcohol poisoning in the series finale of
ER on
NBC, which aired in April 2009 and was inspired by a true event that the series' producer experienced with his young niece, who died of the same cause. She also interpreted the historical figure,
Helen Keller alongside Marilyn Zaslow as her teacher,
Anne Sullivan in William Gibson's
The Miracle Worker, directed by Rachel Manheimer, which opened in October and ran through mid November 2009 at the High Street Arts Center. The actresses were partly chosen for their proficiency in
sign language as L.J. Stevens, the play's producer, commented to the
VC Reporter. The play was highlighted for its casting. Rita Moran of
Ventura County Star felt Stone and Zaslow shared good chemistry.
2010–present Stone portrayed artist
Cyndi Lauper in David Daniels' directorial production of the musical,
The Wedding Singer, based on the film of the same name, adapted for the stage by Tim Herlihy, presented by the Actors' Repertory Theatre of Simi and which played at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center from February through March 2010. She was also cast as a minor character, Rachel in
Azazel Jacobs'
coming-of-age directorial debut,
Terri, which premiered at the
Sundance Film Festival in January 2011. She auditioned at an open casting call for director Thomas Moore's short film,
Razor, winning the lead part of Nicole over 155 other auditions. While a student at the
Los Angeles City College, Moore wrote the script and completed principal photography in 2010. The story focuses on a teenager whose father is in prison. Unable to cope with the stress, she seeks refuge in a church, but with the intention of hanging herself from the rafters. The story was, in part, inspired by Moore's own experiences while he lived in
Avondale where he worked as a teacher. One of his students had committed
suicide. From March to April 2011, she originated the role of Greta in Flip Kobler and Cindy Marcus' play,
Some Sweet Day, a science fiction romantic comedy, which premiered at the Knightsbridge Theatre in
Pasadena. The production was co-written by Kobler and Marcus, where Marcus also directed and Kobler interpreted the male lead, a scientific inventor, Ken who builds a machine and travels back in time. Greta is his best friend from the past. While a theatre review for
LA Weekly praised Marcus' direction and conscious casting, the production was judged poorly for its overacting. Critic Michele E. Buttelman of
The Signal was more positive, calling the performances "strong" and that Stone was "brilliant" as Greta opposite her on-stage mother, Baughn. She reunited with ADR director
Taliesin Jaffe for the
New Generation Pictures English dub of
Hellsing Ultimate, a rebooted adaptation of the
manga, filling the role of a teenage
Walter. Jacob Chapman of
Anime News Network offered a mixed review of the final two episodes, though still expressed that the English-language track was notable. Cary Ginell, writing for
Moorpark Acorn praised the cast, noting that Stone's Penny was "perky" opposite Tosh Hall as a "slick Seaweed." A highly positive review by
StageSceneLA underscored the production as well as Stone whose Penny "is a piquant pixie with a voice twice her size." High Street's company of
Hairspray, along with the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center's
Hairspray were invited to perform "You Can't Stop the Beat", sharing the stage at the Four Star Theater Alliance Awards, televised locally from Simi Valley on January 22, 2012. At the Annual Four Star Theater Alliance Awards for
Ventura County's local stage productions, which held its ceremony at the High Street Arts Center on January 19, 2013, High Street's revival of
Hairspray was nominated for and won several awards, including Outstanding Featured Performance by Stone. and in August, she appeared in
Rex Bravo, the Whistling Cowboy: Showdown at the Bombay Corral, directed by Miles and Rick Pratt, playing Sheilah, daughter of business tycoon Victoria Fox (performed by Sandy Pratt). Both productions opened at the High Street Arts Center. She appeared in the spring 2014 season of the Kentwood Players' production of
Fiddler on the Roof as Russian Jewish daughter, Chava, which was directed by Harold Dershimer with musical direction by Catherine Rahm and choreography by Isabella Olivas, and played at the Westchester Playhouse. Dany Margolies of
Daily Breeze was mixed on the show, arguing that the direction was hit or miss, questioning the actors' safety in various scenes on a crowded stage. However, the music direction was called attention to, writing that though the cast may "not [have] the best singing voices currently on Los Angeles stages," the harmonies sounded acceptable as a group. The performances of the daughters were highlighted, elaborating that Stone shared notable chemistry with Bradley Miller as her father, Tevye. She provided the voice of Makoto in
Capcom's
Ultra Street Fighter IV, released in August 2014. Brad Gallaway of
Game Critics believed the title was an improvement on
Super Street Fighter IV, though he received the English dub negatively, arguing that the casting was "absolutely horrible" compared to the game's Japanese counterpart. She was also cast as Honey in the Ojai Art Center Theater's production of
Edward Albee's ''
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, directed by Tom Eubanks, which opened in January and played through February 2015. In an interview with Ojai ACT'''s producer Vivien Latham, Stone confessed that she was not knowledgeable about the play when she walked into the audition; however, "the idea of this [four-character] play was really exciting," she said. "Honey is so unlike me. She really is! It was a huge challenge, because I have to play completely out of character. I've never played a drunk before, so that was interesting." She starred alongside Sean Rio Flynn as her husband, Nick where they promoted the play in a radio interview on
Tom & Sandy 805, broadcast on
KVTA (1590
AM). '' in Los Angeles, California in April 2018 Sami Zahringer of
Ojai Valley News praised the overall production and Stone's performance against a solid cast. When it is later revealed in Act II that she suffered a
hysterical pregnancy, the only reason why Nick married her as he was manipulated into the relationship, he singled out Stone's ability to tap into Honey's moments of distress, calling it "heart-breaking." During the Annual Four Star Theater Alliance Awards ceremony on January 10, 2016 at the High Streets Arts Center, Stone won in the Actress category for Outstanding Featured Performance Later, she starred as
Nora Helmer in
Nora by the Santa Paula Theater Center, which was performed in October. The play is a reinterpretation of ''
A Doll's House'' penned by
Ingmar Bergman (where he had edited down
Henrik Ibsen's original work). Stone ventured into directing a children's musical,
Cindy: A Cinderella Tale, produced by the Vibe Performing Arts School and staged in Santa Clarita in June 2018, and portrayed the three-part role of, Louise Lerman, her mother, Betty Lerman, and Eve Allabout in the
Off-Broadway classic,
Ruthless!. The musical revival was directed by Alta Abbot, produced by Sherman Wayne and Martha Hunter, and choreographed by Victoria Miller at the Theatre Palisades' Pierson Playhouse in
Pacific Palisades, California from November through December 2019. In a negative review for the "Stage Page" column of
Culver City News, critic Sherri Barrett pointed out that the choreography was obviously simplistic to accommodate the actors' poor dancing. However, she hoped the cast would improve as the show continued its run. Jennika Ingram, writing for the
Palisadian-Post was more forgiving, noting that Stone was believable as Louise, a character who lacks musical talent, and "power[ed]" through [the show] as the unappreciated Eve." ==Personal life==