SEE IT: Prologue Theatre’s delightfully satisfying “The Cake” left no crumbs
In fall 2019, I attended my very first Prologue Theatre production. I was thrilled that they had chosen a fantastic play, Bert V. Royal’s Dog Sees God. However, as I sat in the audience reading the director’s note, my heart sank. They would be approaching this hilarious (yet heartbreaking) play not as a comedy, but as a drama. Their production washed all the humor away with melancholy; the clever jokes lost their brightness. Without these light and hilarious moments, the play’s more emotional and tragic elements lost all impact. I was shocked that they would disregard the play’s intelligently structured storytelling to simply dwell in mood. Skeptical about their artistic vision, I was hesitant to revisit their company from then on.
Nearly four years later, I have finally returned to Prologue for their production of The Cake. When I entered their space at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, my skepticism quickly began to fade. I had never seen this venue so ambitiously transformed. And from the moment the show began, I was converted. Prologue Theatre’s The Cake is an extraordinarily well-crafted theatrical treat in every element. Their delightful recipe of sophisticated direction, exceptional design, and incredibly excellent performances will leave audiences more than satisfied.
Let’s set the scene: From a small town in North Carolina, bakery owner Della (Nicole Halmos) is ecstatic to have been chosen to compete on a hugely popular baking show. Her celebratory planning gets disrupted by the arrival of Jen (Tara Forseth), a young woman who Della helped raise as a child. Jen has returned to her hometown to get married, and she wants Della to bake her wedding cake. Initially overjoyed at the honor, Della soon deflates when realizing that Jen is getting married to another woman, Macy (Sabrina Lynne Sawyer). Struggling with her religious beliefs, Della declines to make the cake, saying she will be too busy. It is not a decision she makes easily, nor one the women accept fully. Under the pressure of her beliefs and of her husband (Sam Lunay), Della must look within herself to find the truly right thing to do.
Despite its straightforward nature, this play is not an easy feat for actors. It challenges them to be both authentically comedic and emotionally vulnerable. If you cannot access both, the play would lose its engaging heart. Thankfully, Prologue has found a remarkable group of actors that consistently deliver.
Nicole Halmos is an absolute revelation as Della. Bubbling with southern charm and maternal warmth, Halmos enchantingly exudes her character every single second. She deftly handles the hilarious writing while also accessing a truthful emotional core, never once approaching a caricature. Her performance was highly entertaining and incredibly moving. Her subtext while denying to make the couple’s cake was stunningly emotional — you could see her heart breaking as she proceeded to lie to them. Her sincerity and authenticity elevated a beautiful production to even greater heights, and it may be one of the best performances of the year.
Tara Forseth and Sabrina Lynne Sawyer were wonderfully cast as the young, engaged couple. Forseth’s sparkly and sensitive Jen was satisfyingly contrasted with Sawyer’s reserved, unflinching Macy. I was greatly impressed with Forseth’s transition from quirky Southern sweetheart to a rattled, doubting shell of herself. Her pain was intensely nuanced, and watching her hold herself together and open up about her past made me want to sob. Sawyer excelled as the perceptive, devoted Macy. Protective and allergic-to-bullshit, she had me on her side from the word go — the intensity of her scenes with Della radiated throughout the theatre.
Sam Lunay had the difficult job of making a slight oxymoronic character realistic, and he succeeded fabulously. A stereotypical masculine, conservative, homophobic plumber that enjoys being the little spoon, gets emotional, and avoids having sex with his wife? Despite disagreeing with his beliefs, you cannot help but connect with Lunay’s Tim. His performance is wonderfully sincere, and his chemistry with Halmos makes both the tender and silly moments all the more powerful.
This play has the potential to be done so poorly, yet director Aria Velz brilliantly navigated the complexity of this script. From the ridiculous banter, tense confrontations, to silly television fantasy moments, all components felt cohesive and energized. The pacing and comedic timing were absolutely perfect, and the blocking was refined and well-orchestrated. Velz’s strong point-of-view was an asset to this production, hitting every mark from scene to scene.
The most delightful surprise was the absolutely genius scenic design by Jason Tamborini. The bakery set was pleasantly nostalgic and brightly detailed, with wonderful décor and tantalizing bake goods. The way the set transformed for the play’s other locations was cleverly conceived and flawlessly executed. It is a marvelous example of the imaginative possibilities of theatre — not only simplistically effective for the storytelling, but a delight to experience.
It does not surprise me that Prologue Theatre is one of this year’s recipients of the John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company. Their impressive growth since Dog Sees God is quite commendable, and I look forward to what they have to come. They truly exceeded all of my expectations with The Cake, a play with many laughs and much heart. It is my UnProfessional Opinion that you SEE The Cake — you may even want to come back for seconds.
The Cake
Written by Bekah Brunstetter
Directed by Aria Velz
Prologue Theatre
February 2–26, 2023
