THE CAKE Debuts at Bergen County Players

Enjoy a touching and topical dramedy as love clashes with conscience in Bergen County Players' (BCP) production of The Cake. The play, written by Bekah Brunstetter, producer/writer for the hit TV series This Is Us, is directed by Carol Fisher of Teaneck. It opens March 14 and runs through April 11 at the Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell. Showtimes are Friday and Saturday nights at 8PM and Sundays at 2PM. Tickets are $30 on Fridays and Saturdays, and $28 on Sundays. They can be purchased online at www.bcplayers.org, by calling 201-261-4200, or by visiting the box office at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell during regular box office hours.

The Cake, which is inspired by real-life headlines and a case that made its way to the Supreme Court, centers around a warm devout Christian baker in North Carolina who faces a conflict of faith when the daughter of her late Best Friend asks her to create a wedding cake for her and her lesbian partner.

The play grapples with many issues - including the complexity of changing long-held beliefs, as well as the need to humanize both sides of the political and religious divide. "For me, The Cake is a story of love, understanding and redemption. It portrays real people trying hard to find a path back to each other," says director Fisher. "In a time when we seem to be going backwards in many ways, a play about love and understanding can be very moving and help remind us to have more acceptance of people not like us."

A BCP Life Member, Teaneck resident Fisher has directed several productions for BCP, including Pride and Prejudice, Church and State, The Lion in Winter, The Last Night of Ballyhoo, A Shayna Maidel, Is There Life After High School? and Sordid Lives. Audiences have also enjoyed her performances at the Little Firehouse Theatre in various shows, including Steel Magnolias, Pippin and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

The talented cast of The Cake includes Holly Cerelli of Hasbrouck Heights, in her debut performance at BCP as Della, the heartwarming baker. Her husband, Tim, a "good ole boy," is played by BCP newcomer John Klemek of Ringwood, NJ. Playing the role of Jen, who is practically Della's daughter, is a familiar BCP name, Angelina Aragona of Township of Washington. Her Lesbian partner is Macy, played by yet another BCP newcomer, Kylah Wilson of Paterson. Rounding out the cast is BCP veteran Larry Brustofski of Oakland, as the voice of George, host of The Great American Bake-Off and the brutal conscience of Della.

The production team of The Cake is comprised of Christine Francois (Producer and Assistant to the Director), Michelle Roth (Stage Manager), Jody Laufer (Set Design and Construction), Lauren Zenreich and Marci Weinstein (Set Décor), Richard Ciero (Prop Master), Scout Schiro (Costumes), Joellen Tierney (Dresser/Crew), Allan Seward (Lighting Design), Sandra Conklin (Lighting Operation), Tim Larsen (Sound Design), Aura Caicedo and Joe Ercole (Sound Operation), Richard Frant (Photography), Darlene Slezak, Ken Slezak, and Olga Garey (Crew), and Felicia Benson-Kraft (Member-At-Large).