The Cake

by Bekah Brunstetter

Directed by Jennie Ward

DESCRIPTION:

When Della, a Southern baker with strong Christian values, is asked to bake a wedding cake for her late best friend’s daughter—who’s marrying another woman—her world is turned upside down. What follows is a tender, funny, and complicated reckoning between faith and friendship, love and tradition. Written by Bekah Brunstetter (This is Us), this warm and poignant comedy invites us to the kitchen table to explore what happens when our hearts and beliefs collide—and reminds us that sometimes the sweetest acts of courage are also the most human.

PERFORMANCE DATES:

Runs Fridays/Saturdays/Sundays February 20 through March 15, plus a Monday Pay-What-You-Can performance on March 2nd. Cast and crew are required to participate in strike immediately following the final performance.

REHEARSALS:

Rehearsals will begin Thursday, Jan 15, and generally run Tues/Wed/Thurs evenings and Sat/Sun afternoons. Whenever possible actors will be scheduled on an as needed basis.

AUDITION DATES:

December 8 & 9, 7-9pm. Doors open at 6:30p. Callbacks on December 10, 7-9p, if needed.

AUDITION FORMAT:

Prepare a 1-2 minute monologue in a naturalistic dark comedy or light drama style. Memorization strongly preferred but not required. Also, select readings from the script..

Sides will be available in advance: https://www.theatreintheround.org/home/get-involved/auditions/.

Please note that all roles at Theatre in the Round are volunteer; however, as of the 2024-2025 season all actors will be offered a $100 honorarium and be provided a new professional headshot, with rights to use digitally or print.

CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS:

Except as noted, roles are open to actors of all identities – racial, ethnic, sexual, gender – and no roles assume the presence or absence of disability.

NOTES REGARDING INTIMACY:

An intimacy coordinator will be an active part of the rehearsal process, as romance, sexuality, and sensuality are key to this story.

Tim and Della both participate in scenes with simulated nudity.
The script calls for Jen and Macy to kiss each other, and for Tim and Della to kiss earch other.
George's interactions with Della are at times uncomfortably sexualized.

Della - 40s-50s, female, pleasant, round Southern woman, owns a small local bakery

Tim - 40s-50s, male, Della’s husband, a good ol’ boy, owns a plumbing business

Jen - early 30s, female, girly transplant from the South to NYC, event planner

Macy - early 30s, female, African American, Jen’s fiancée, Brooklyn hipster, writer

George - 40s-60s, male, "GBBO" knockoff Paul Hollywood, exists only in Della's mind