Let
Them Eat Cake
by Cheyenne Kemp
Who knew a cake, a sweet treat normally meant for times of celebration, would be the focal point of a moral dilemma and the basis of which the people closest to you were making life changing decisions?
The wonderful performance of The Cake at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, is based on the 2012 case that reached the Supreme Court involving a same-sex couple, Dave Mullins and Charlie Craig, and the Masterpiece Cake Shop that refused service based on the owner’s personal religious beliefs. The play was written by Bekah Brunstetter and directed at The Rep by Sare Bruner. From the widespread sharing of the case from friends of the couple to social media sites and news sources, this has been a widely argued topic for many people, especially for those who grew up in an older generation where people in same-sex relationships were discriminated against.
Many people have had to rethink the way they see others in the last few years since the legalization of same-sex marriage on June 26, 2015 in the United States under the Obama Administration. To this day, the decision is still the topic of discussion when asked if it is right for companies to refuse service based on personal beliefs.
There is a time
in everyone’s life where they are faced with a hard decision they must make and
that is exactly the dilemma Ms. Della (Denny Dillon) is going through. When Jen
(Rigel Harris) comes to her hometown in the South with her soon-to-be wife Macy
(Dria Brown), she is met with opposition from herself and the local bakery
owner and family friend, Ms. Della. All she hoped would happen is that she would
be able to come back to open arms and a wonderful wedding cake from the bakery
she remembers so well. Being gay in America is hard enough but being judged by
everyone around you but being judged by someone so close to her weighs on Jen
terribly all the while she battles the internalized homophobia, she has grown
accustomed to. Being in New York and being in a relationship with the outgoing
and free-spirited Macy has changed how Jen sees herself. This also impacts
Della greatly because she realizes that although Jen’s choice on a partner goes
against her personal beliefs, she would rather see Jen happy no matter who she
loves.
I have come to
love this play so much that I wish I had gone another time. I had the pleasure
of seeing the play before the Covid-19 pandemic took hold on everyone’s lives which
sadly forced the production to be cut short. Nevertheless, the play touched on
a lot of serious topics that also came with a side of comedy that made me love
it even more. Della longed to be on a British Baking Show and reignite the
flame she once had with her husband sparked again. The fact that Della
initially declined to make Jen’s cake even though she was about to go out of
business and the fact that her husband was becoming a stranger to her tied
together a lot of themes that needed to be addressed. Personally, I believe
this to be a recurring theme amongst some opposers of LGBTQ+ relationships. The
fact that many people have many issues themselves but continue to get in the
way of other people’s happiness just based on who they decide to date and who
they want to associate with is troubling to me in a sense.
The storytelling
was amazing along with the emotions portrayed on the stage because just as Macy
is a black lesbian living in America, there was a sense of frustration that was
felt in every audience member that evening. It is important to hear more
stories of those who are different from yourself so that you can get an idea of
how others think because not everyone thinks the same way you do. Being in the
audience was an amazing experience because we were so close to the actors that
you could feel and see how they were feeling up close and personally which was
even better than being further away. At the conclusion of the show, I believe
many people had to change the way they thought which is the most desirable
impact. In the end, it should be known that Love Wins always and nothing should
stop you from loving your neighbor.
Even though this
play ran before the COVID shutdown, there are still opportunities to enjoy
performances at The Rep. Here are a few upcoming events...
Little Shop of
Horrors from March 5- April 11, 2021
Mlima’s Tale –
May 28 – July 11, 2021
For more information go to www.repstl.org
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