Iowa Stage Theatre Company Presents THE CAKE

Iowa Stage Theatre Company, central Iowa's home for award-winning theater that inspires, enlightens and entertains, presents the Iowa premiere of Bekah Brunstetter's The Cake. A young woman returns to her North Carolina hometown to ask her deceased mother's best friend to bake her wedding cake. But she's marrying a woman, and the friend, very religious, refuses. And then things, including a baking reality TV show and dormant marriage, get very, very interesting.

Bekah Brunstetter is an acclaimed playwright and writer and producer of such television shows as American Gods and This is Us. Originally from Winston-Salem, NC, and the liberal daughter of a conservative state senator, Brunstetter brings warmth, compassion and humanity to all sides of a politically divisive question.

"The Cake not only addresses powerful questions of rights and identity, it does so in a way that is loving, generous and funny," Matthew McIver, Artistic Director of ISTC, said. "Audiences across the country have been moved to both laughter and tears by this wonderful script, and we have an amazing team of some of the best artists in central Iowa."

Jennifer Nostrala, professor of theater at Simpson College and director of ISTC's 2019 production of A Doll's House, will direct. Resident Artist Company member Kim Haymes plays Jen, the bride to be, and guest artist Becky Scholtec, previously Mrs. Crachit in ISTC's A Christmas Carol, plays her godmother, the baker Della. Rae Fehring, who thrilled audiences as Big Allison in ISTC's 2018 production of Fun Home, plays Jen's fiance Macy, and RAC member James Serpento, fresh from his turn as Marley/Mrs. Dilber in A Christmas Carol plays Della's husband Tim.

The sets are by Nick Amundson, lately of the Des Moines Community Playhouse, and new to ISTC. RAC member Jim Trenberth returns to design lights, with frequent ISTC collaborator Emily Ganfield designing costumes.

The Cake is sponsored by Simonson and Associates and American Enterprise, in in-kind sponsorship provided by Creme Cupcake, who will be providing refreshments to the audience following each performance. ISTC renews their partnership with One Iowa, who will be facilitating post-show talkbacks for the audiences, following their successful similar collaboration on Fun Home.

Performances will take place at the Stoner Theater of Des Moines Performing Arts, located at 221 Walnut St. in downtown Des Moines. Tickets are on sale at https://www.iowastage.org/the-cake.

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