27 October 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
IOWA STAGE THEATRE COMPANY ANNOUNCES RETURN TO STAGE
Iowa Stage Theatre Company presents Bekah Brunstetter’s “THE CAKE”
Iowa Stage Theatre Company (ISTC), central Iowa’s home for award-winning theater that inspires, enlightens and entertains, returns to live performances at the Stoner Theater of Des Moines Performing Arts.
The company will present Bekah Brunstetter’s The Cake, the story of a young woman who returns to her North Carolina hometown to ask her deceased mother’s best friend to bake her wedding cake. But she’s marrying a woman, and the friend refuses, and then things really take off. Mix in a baking reality show and a dormant marriage and things get very, very interesting.
“The Cake was about to load into the theater in March of 2020, when the world shut down” says Artistic Director Matthew McIver. “We are excited to bring this creative team back together and pick up where we left off with our artists and audiences.”
Bekah Brunstetter is an acclaimed playwright and writer and producer of such television shows as American Gods and This is Us. Originally from Winston-Salem, NC, and the liberal daughter of a conservative state senator, Brunstetter brings warmth, compassion and humanity to all sides of a politically divisive question.
Jennifer Nostrala, professor of theater at Simpson College and director of ISTC’s 2019 production of A Doll’s House, returns to direct. Resident Artist Company member Kim Haymes plays Jen, the bride to be, and guest artist Becky Scholtec, previously Mrs. Crachit in ISTC’s A Christmas Carol, plays her godmother, the baker Della. RAC members Rae Fehring and James Serpento play Macy and Tim respectively, fresh from their turns in last spring’s Exit Strategy.
The sets are designed by ISTC Director of Production Jay Jagim, who was last year honored with a lifetime achievement Cloris award. Costumes created by Stephanie Wilber, with lighting design by Dakota Sommer and sound design by Brandon Kair.
All performances will be at the Stoner Theater of Des Moines Performing Arts, 221 Walnut Street in downtown Des Moines. Tickets and more information at https://www.iowastage.org/the-cake
ISTC’s season continues with the holiday delight It’s A Wonderful Life: A Life Radio Play, opening on December 16th. The season continues with Eugene O’Neill’s classic of the American Family, Long Day’s Journey Into Night on February 11th, 2022. Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer prize winning look at friendship, work and race in America, Sweat, opens on March 25th, and the season closes with the world premiere of Karen Schaeffer’s Girls Weekend 2, sequel to her hit comedy Girls Weekend, opening April 29th, 2022.
“After the stress and challenges of the last couple of years, we are thrilled to be able welcome audiences back to the Stoner Theater,” said Artistic Director McIver. “DMPA has been a thoughtful partner and we are following COVID safety protocols to protect our artists and audiences. And we are all excited to share the laughs and joys that live theater can bring.”
Performance Dates
Friday, Nov 12, 20217:30 PM
Saturday, Nov 13, 20217:30 PM
Sunday, Nov 14, 20212:00 PM
Wednesday, Nov 17, 20217:30 PM
Thursday, Nov 18, 20217:30 PM
Friday, Nov 19, 20217:30 PM
Saturday, Nov 20, 20212:00 PM
Saturday, Nov 20, 20217:30 PM
Sunday, Nov 21, 20212:00 PM
Iowa Stage Theatre Company, founded in 2017, is a professional theater company in central Iowa that creates high-quality audience experiences of the greatest stories ever told onstage, from the classics to the cutting edge. Artistic Director Matthew McIver and our Resident Artist Company work to transform Iowa, its citizens, and arts community by producing truthful, relevant, and intimate theatre that inspires, enlightens, and entertains.
For Press Photos, please contact marketing@iowastage.org . For more information about Iowa Stage Theatre Company, visit us online at iowastage.org.