About the Play

by Rachel Ropella

What do you get when you take one conservative Southern baker, a lesbian couple, and one disapproving husband and mix them all together? The Cake, a topical, delicious comedic drama by Bekah Brunstetter. The baker, Della, is delighted when Jen–who she’s seen as a daughter for years–comes into her bakery and asks her to bake the cake for her upcoming wedding. But when Della finds out it’s a lesbian wedding, she has a crisis of conscience, as she and the rest of the characters must grapple with what love and commitment truly look like.

Originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, playwright Bekah Brunstetter has spoken extensively on how her upbringing has been deeply influential in the writing of this play. When interviewed by Concord Theatricals’ publication Breaking Character, Brunstetter notes, “I have a lot of people in my life and in my family that are like Della. I feel really protective of them, and I was starting to feel a frustration with how people like Della were being treated and perceived in the media… But as protective as I feel about that character, I also have my own anger and frustration with her values. I also wanted to give myself an opportunity to put myself in conversation with her and challenge her.”

The Cake was first produced by the Echo Theater Company in Los Angeles in 2017, and was then produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC), where it was directed by MTC's artistic director, Lynne Meadow, in 2019. For both the West and East Coast premieres, the role of Della was played by Debra Jo Rupp, who is best known for her role of Kitty Forman on the sitcom That ‘70s Show.

Barbara Schuler for Newsday wrote that the Off-Broadway production was “a beautifully nuanced, layered portrait of a woman in conflict with her own beliefs.” Since its Off-Broadway run, The Cake has been produced at major theaters across the country before finding its way to Portland Stage, where it’s sure to find a way to win over your heart (and maybe even your sweet tooth!).