The Cake
A play by Bekah Brunstetter
Review by Ernest Edwards
I was at opening night of the play The Cake at Theatre in the Round Players Friday night.
To say this play from 2019 is only about a baker denying to bake a cake for a lesbian couple would be simplifying the story too much. The play is a lot more than that. It also deals with religion, faith, love and relationships in the 21st Century.
You have Macy, who is an African-American woman, who is engaged to Jen, a southern Caucasian woman. Macy and Jen live in Brooklyn. Jen wants Della to bake her wedding cake. Della is one of Jen’s last connections to her Mom from her southern home town.
Jen is disheartened when Della says has a full schedule for the month they want to get married. You can tell that this was not easy for Della say this. This action does make Della question her faith. Not being Christian, but that one sentence in Leviticus. She sees how much Jen is hurt by this. She loves Jen and wants her to be happy. Her faith says she can’t participate in Jen and Macy’s wedding.
Della and her husband Tim are also having a rough time in their marriage. Spoiler alert. They try frosting and mashed potatoes to reignite the spark. Not going say any more. You will have to watch and see.
This play is very rewarding by the end. There’s character growth, there’s understanding, and relationships deepen. The characters all have a journey that they go through in this play. They all come out stronger and more positive in the end.
I really liked the set design by Keven Lock. There’s a titled floor, three counters and a table with chairs that are rearranged effortlessly for each scene in the play. I need to also mention Costume Designer Emma Shook, I really liked the costumes for George and the final costumes for Jen and Macy need to be mentioned.
For opening night, there was also cake in the lobby after the play.
I really liked this play. It was very enjoyable and relevant for our time. The Cake continues through March 15, 2026. Check out www.theatreintheround.org for tickets.
