The Cake

Silverthorne Theater Company presents the final production of our 2023 season, Bekah Brunstetter's The Cake. Directed by Gina Kaufmann, performances will take place at the Mainstage Theater at Hampshire College in Amherst, from June 9th - 17th.

The cast is anchored by Elizabeth Aspenlieder*, a company member at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, where she has performed in over 30 plays over the past 20 years, including Regan in King Lear, Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Hermione in A Winter’s Tale. She won Boston’s prestigious Elliot Norton award for her solo performance in the comedy Bad Dates and won a 2019 Berkie Award for best supporting actor in The Waverly Gallery. In The Cake, Aspenlieder will be taking on the role of Della, a conservative baker who faces a crisis of conscience.

Rounding out the cast are four veteran actors, listed here with their previous Silverthorne Theater credits: Tahmie Der (The Taming, Christmas at Pemberley, Intimate Apparel), Gabriel Levey (Intimate Apparel), Claudia Maurino (Christmas at Pemberley) and Sam Samuels* (The Mystery of Irma Vep, Tar2f!).

When Della, a North Carolina Baker and devout Christian, is asked to bake a wedding cake for her best friend’s daughter, she is overjoyed. But that joy is short-lived when she learns that the intended is another bride and realizes she is faced with an agonizing choice between faith and family. Struggling to reconcile her deeply-held belief in “traditional marriage” and the love she has for the woman she helped raise, Della finds herself in strange new territory. Inspired by a story still in the headlines, this marvelously funny play is proof that love is the key ingredient in creating common ground.

Please note: In the best interest of all our patrons and personnel, we are requiring audience members to wear masks while at the performance. Masks will be available at the door. We no longer need proof of vaccination, though we strongly urge you to take this measure of safety. Thank you for your continued support in these difficult times.