Asolo Rep Presents Bekah Brunstetter's THE CAKE This April

Asolo Repertory Theatre proudly presents THE CAKE, written by Bekah Brunstetter, the Emmy Award-winning writer and producer of the hit TV series This is Us. Directed by Lavina Jadhwani, this heartfelt new comedy shines a bright light on both sides of the marriage equality debate. THE CAKE previews April 3 and 4, opens April 5 and runs through April 28 in the Cook Theatre, located in the FSU Center for the Performing Arts.
For old-school baker Della, having the chance to make the wedding cake for her late best friend's daughter, Jen, is a dream come true. But reality sets in when she discovers that there will be not one but two brides on top of the cake. When Jen and her outspoken fiancée, Macy, travel from New York to visit Della's North Carolina bakery, their ideas of faith, family, love and marriage collide. Moral quandaries, reality TV and lots of butter form this touching new play told with generosity, humor and more than a few surprises.

"What drew me to Bekah Brunstetter's THE CAKE is the way in which it explores the gray area of the marriage equality debate and not the black and white - there are no 'good guys' and 'bad guys,'" said Asolo Rep Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards. "Not only is that a refreshing way to examine such a timely and divisive topic but it also lends itself to open and empathetic conversation after the play ends. I know that our patrons will connect with this fresh and relevant play filled with laughter, joy and tremendous heart."

The cast features Cindy Gold (Della), whose credits include Indecent (Victory Gardens), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Drury Lane), Taming of the Shrew (Chicago Shakespeare), My Fair Lady (Lyric Opera), Measure for Measure (The Goodman), Show Boat (Lyric Opera and Washington National Opera, Kennedy Center) and Love, Loss and What I Wore (Broadway in Chicago). Her TV credits include Empire, Chicago Fire, and Leverage. She is a professor of acting at Northwestern University. Amanda Fallon Smith (Jen) portrayed Abigail Williams in The Crucible at Asolo Rep this season. Her regional credits include Aggie Wheeler (The Game's Afoot, Gretna Theatre), Ariel (The Little Mermaid, Gretna Theatre), and Belle (Beauty and the Beast, West Virginia Public Theatre).

Paul Romero (Tim/Announcer), who played Thomas Putman in The Crucible this season, has appeared regionally at the Shakespeare Theatre Company, Portland Stage Company, Huntington Theatre Company, Riverside Theatre, Orlando Shakespeare Theater and more. His film credits include Begin Again with Mark Ruffalo and he has appeared on TV in Spin City, Law & Order, All My Children, The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and more. DeAnna Wright (Macy) is a third year FSU/Asolo Conservatory student who starred in the Conservatory's 2018 Dog Days Theatre production of The Turn of the Screw.

Bekah Brunstetter is currently developing a Broadway musical adaptation of The Notebook with singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson. Her other plays include Going to a Place Where You Already Are, The Oregon Trail, Be A Good Little Widow and Oohrah! For television, she has written for MTV, Freeform and Starz and is the supervising producer on NBC's This is Us.

Director Lavina Jadhwani helmed Roe at Asolo Rep last season. Hailed as the "Best Next Generation Stage Director" by Time Out Chicago, she has directed at Actors Theatre of Louisville, American Conservatory Theater, Guthrie Theater, Mixed Blood Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare & Company, Teatro Vista, Silk Road Rising and Writers Theatre.

"One of the many things that I love about this play is that everyone opens up a little bit by the end of it - all four characters open their hearts and minds, they understand other people a little better, they're better listeners than they were when we first met them," said Lavina Jadhwani. "I'm so excited to have conversations about this play with these artists and with Sarasota audiences. Oh, and there will be cake afterwards!"

Following every performance, audiences will enjoy free cake provided by Nothing Bundt Cakes. The Sarasota bakery will also provide cakes for other events connected to the play, including Inside Asolo Rep.

This season, Asolo Rep's Faces of Change, an annual community based documentary theatre project, is inspired by THE CAKE. Stories will not only showcase LGBT unions, but other "non-traditional" modern marriages, including those with racial and religious differences and blended families. Free performances will be held on Sunday, April 7 and Monday, April 8 (both at 7pm) in the Cook Theatre. For more information and other public performances, visit www.asolorep.org/faces.

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