Focus Questions

by Liana SC and Nick Hone

1. Della, the baker in The Cake, is set to be a contestant on a fictional baking contest based in part on the very popular Great British Bake Off. Read the PlayNotes article titled “What’s the Deal with The Big American Bake-Off?” Why do you think baking reality competitions such as this have become so popular in the last decade? Find a partner and discuss.

2. Who do you think is the protagonist of this story? Who, if anyone, do you think is the antagonist?

3. Jen feels a sense of pride and belonging in North Carolina while also feeling rejected because of her sexuality. Do you have pride in where you’re from? Does where you are from conflict with anything else you are or believe?

4. Reflect on your paragraph about your family’s expectations vs. your experience, and compare it to the experience of Jen and Macy in the play. Were there any similarities or differences? Did you connect with anything you saw?