{"id":21030,"date":"2017-08-28T14:08:48","date_gmt":"2017-08-28T18:08:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/college.unc.edu\/?p=21030"},"modified":"2024-07-02T16:36:46","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T16:36:46","slug":"the-cake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/?p=21030","title":{"rendered":"PlayMakers Repertory Company Presents Regional Premiere of “The Cake”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"PlayMakers Repertory Company<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>presents the regional premiere of \u201cThe Cake\u201d by Carolina alumna Bekah Brunstetter <\/strong>(NBC\u2019s This is Us <\/em>writer\/producer), on stage from Sept.13 to Oct. 1 at the Center for Dramatic Art on Country Club Road. The production is directed by Carolina alumnus Jeffrey Meanza<\/strong>, who returns to PlayMakers to make his main stage directorial debut.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Cake\u201d is a timely, charm-filled and compassionate exploration of what happens when faith and family collide. Della is legendary for baking mouth watering cakes \u2014 she\u2019s even won a spot on the Great American Baking Show! So she\u2019s overjoyed when Jen, the young woman she helped raise, returns home to Winston-Salem and asks Della to bake her wedding cake. But our star baker is forced to reexamine some of her deeply held beliefs when she finds that Jen\u2019s partner is another woman. Food, faith and family loyalty take center stage in this paradigm-shifting comedy that will leave audiences hungry for more.<\/p>\n

\"Jenny
Jenny Latimer as Jen, Julia Gibson as Della, and Christine Mirazayan as Macy in PlayMakers Repertory Company\u2019s production of \u201cThe Cake\u201d by Bekah Brunstetter. (photo by Huth Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cFrom the time I started writing this play, I hoped that PlayMakers would stage it. I very much wanted to see it performed in North Carolina because it was important to me to humanize conservative values in \u2018The Cake,\u2019\u201d says Brunstetter. \u201cDella is a conservative heroine who goes on this incredible journey of self-reflection, about where her values come from, and how to live in truth with two very important parts of her life. On a personal note, I was part of the backstage crew for PlayMakers when I was an undergrad drama major at UNC-Chapel Hill and I really found my voice as a playwright there!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDirecting \u2018The Cake\u2019 at PlayMakers is a homecoming in so many ways,\u201d says Meanza, who served for several seasons as Associate Artistic Director, directed \u201cGuys and Dolls\u201d for PlayMakers\u2019 2015 Summer Youth Conservatory and acted in numerous productions from 2007\u20132015. \u201cI\u2019ve known Bekah for years, as she and I are both UNC-Chapel Hill alumni. She has written a smart, thoughtful and funny story that I am proud to help bring to a part of the country where we both have deep personal and professional roots. Audiences will laugh, probably cry, and ultimately root for every single one of the play\u2019s multi-dimensional characters.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am thrilled to open our 2017\/18 main stage season with a timely play set right here in North Carolina, told by the eminently talented native North Carolinian, Bekah Brunstetter,\u201d says Vivienne Benesch<\/strong>, PlayMakers\u2019 Producing Artistic Director. \u201cAs polarizing issues like marriage equality continue to play out all over the country, \u201cThe Cake\u201d couldn\u2019t be on our stage at a better time. The magic of tackling such important issues through live theatre is that we are able to grapple with them on a human scale, as true-to-life characters — on both sides of the proverbial aisle — show us that there are complex, well-intentioned individuals trying to figure out what\u2019s right at the heart of most conflicts. It\u2019s relevant, entertaining, great theater that takes us to the edge of new possibilities, and that\u2019s what PlayMakers is all about this season.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Cake\u201d features PlayMakers acting company members Julia Gibson <\/strong>as Della (recently on stage in \u201cMy Fair Lady\u201d and \u201cTwelfth Night\u201d), Jenny Latimer <\/strong>as Jen (recently in \u201cTwelfth Night\u201d and \u201cThe May Queen\u201d), and Christine Mirzayan <\/strong>as Macy (recently in \u201cThe Crucible\u201d and \u201cMy Fair Lady\u201d). Returning to the PlayMakers stage is Triangle-favorite Derrick Ivey <\/strong>as Tim (credits include \u201cAn Enemy of the People\u201d at PlayMakers and \u201cGod of Carnage\u201d at Theatre Raleigh).<\/p>\n

The Creative Team of \u201cThe Cake\u201d includes: Jeffrey Meanza <\/strong>(Director), Jan Chambers <\/strong>(Scenic Designer), Junghyun Georgia Lee <\/strong>(Costume Designer), Burke Brown <\/strong>(Lighting Designer), Bruno Louchouarn <\/strong>(Sound Designer), Mark Perry <\/strong>(Dramaturg), John Patrick <\/strong>(Voice Coach), Elizabeth Cutler Ray <\/strong>(Stage Manager), and Charles K. Bayang <\/strong>(Assistant Stage Manager).<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Cake\u201d is recommended for audiences 16 and older.<\/p>\n

For information and to purchase tickets, call 919.962.7529 or visit playmakersrep.org. Individual ticket prices for \u201cThe Cake\u201d start at $15.<\/p>\n

Performance and Event Schedule<\/u>:<\/h1>\n
    \n
  • August 28, 7:00 m. <\/strong>\u2014 \u201cIn the Wings\u201d presented by PlayMakers and the Durham County Library. Cast and creative team members discuss the play at the South Regional branch, 4505 S. Alston Ave., Durham.<\/li>\n
  • September 6, 6:30 p.m.<\/strong>, Center for Dramatic Art \u2014 \u201cThe Vision Series \u2014 Directors in Conversation,\u201d a behind-the-scenes preview with members of the creative team, moderated by Producing Artistic Director, Vivienne Benesch. The event is free and open to the Join us for a cup of coffee and great conversation about the vision for the show, including a sneak peek at the set in progress. Members of the media are invited to cover the Vision Series. Photography, videography, lights and flashes are not restricted.<\/u><\/em><\/li>\n
  • September 13-15, 7:30 m. <\/strong>\u2014 Preview performances<\/li>\n
  • September 16, 7:30 m. <\/strong>\u2014 Opening Night & Press Opening<\/li>\n
  • September 19, 7:30 m. <\/strong>\u2014 All-access performance for attendees with special needs, with sign language interpretation and audio description<\/li>\n
  • September 19, 7:30 m. <\/strong>\u2014 Community Night at PlayMakers. General admission seating, with all tickets $15 ($10 for students with UNC ID)<\/li>\n
  • September 20 & 24 <\/strong>\u2014 Free post-show discussions with members of the creative team and cast<\/li>\n
  • September 30, 7:30 m. <\/strong>\u2014 Open captioned performance, with dialog, stage direction, and sound effects communicated on a \u201cuniversal access\u201d live caption unit<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Art reflects real-life headlines in dramedy about a baker torn between love and faith, in production that opens Sept. 13.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":21312,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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