Review by Neal Newman
February 9, 2024
Not long ago, two gay gentlemen traveled from their home state of Colorado to Massachusetts. a more liberal state. for a legal wedding. They returned to Colorado for a reception with friends, but when they ordered a wedding cake, the Christian baker refused to create it, claiming it was against his religion. The gay couple sued. But the US Supreme Court found for the baker and reversed the Colorado decision, feeling that anti-gay sentiments clouded the proceedings. This blanketed the media and was noticed by experienced playwright Bekah Brunstetter.
She was not interested in the religious aspects but rather in the gulf in her life, now in New York and Hollywood, with her hometown in conservative North Carolina. She loved people in both “bubbles” and wanted to explore this breach tearing our country apart. Her approach was sensitive and sympathetic to both sides. The resulting play, THE CAKE, is challenging to pull off.
The heroine of CAKE is Della, a dyed-in-the-wool Southern lass who loves to bake. When she says you must only use pure ingredients and rigidly “follow the recipe,” one immediately recognizes someone who will resist societal change. That challenge comes when her beloved goddaughter returns home from “up north.” She has returned to be married. To a woman. A black woman. Naturally, Della cannot bake that cake.
Steel River Playhouse is presenting the play in its upstairs loft. Director/Artistic Director Leena Devlin shows a strong hand with the technical aspects. Gone are the days of no set or lighting in the loft. Designer Hugh Abbott has created a set that is a yellow and blue confectioner’s dream. The lighting by Dakota Adams is complex and inventive, as are the costumes of Teal Knight and Madison Devlin’s sound design. Credit should also be given to the uncredited person who made the cakes.
The performers are a mixed bag. Deborah Baldwin, as Della, is a skilled professional who is delightful when her husband, Tom Libonate, notices that she has never met a gay person. Her confusion is heartfelt. She is also surprisingly hilarious when she dreams her “baker’s nightmare” taunted by the sexual prodding of a British game show host, played by a condescending but unseen Matt Lake. She is less effective as the torment of her conservative upbringing results in actions she cannot understand.Some thought on this would give the performance more momentom and make the ending a true surprise.
Caitlin Monahan is excellent in her excitement of returning home to her beloved cakes. She is also touching in her scenes with Della as she reveals the disorientation of a young person faced with difficult decisions. Less effective are the moments with the two young women, where there is a distinct lack of chemistry. These would play more effectively with a deep commitment to their love and new lives. All in all, the actors and director must excavate more deeply into the text.
This play is a “dramedy,” a modern playwriting term that allows a good deal of sentiment to enter the possible comic elements. If you loved the show THIS IS US, you will love this. Brunstetter was a writer/producer on that show.
Upcoming at Steel River is the musical THE PROM, which deals with many similar themes. That one is filled with New York snark and is an often hilarious satire of liberal wokeness and conservative rigidity.
RUNNING TIME: 90 minutes without intermission.
THE CAKE runs through February 18—2024, at Steel River Playhouse, 245 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA. Tickets can be obtained at www.steelriver.org or by calling 610-970-1199.