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Who Gets To Have ‘The Cake’ And Eat It Too

Bekah Brunstetter grew up in Winston-Salem and was raised in the conservative values of the Southern Baptist church. But as she grew older, her perspective started to shift and she found herself caught between conservative and liberal worlds. 

Host Frank Stasio talks about a new play, 'The Cake', with it's writer Bekah Brunstetter and director Jeff Meanza. He then talks with University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill law professor Michael Gerhardt about the legal questions the play raises.

As an adult Brunstetter has made her home in progressive cities, but her deep love and appreciation for the South and its values shape the characters she develops through her writing. In her new play “The Cake” Brunstetter crafts complex characters of all political stripes.

The production is about an ever-optimistic, Christian baker named Della who is deeply conflicted when the woman she helped raise asks her to make the cake for her marriage to another woman. The play is on stage at PlayMakers Repertory Company at the Center for Dramatic Art in Chapel Hill from Wednesday Sept. 13 through Sunday, Oct 1.

Host Frank Stasio previews the production with writer Bekah Brunstetter and director Jeff Meanza. He then talks with University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill law professor Michael Gerhardt about the legal questions the play raises.

Julia Gibson, star of PlayMakers Repertory Company production of 'The Cake'
VegaBlue Studios /
Julia Gibson, star of PlayMakers Repertory Company production of 'The Cake'

Copyright 2017 North Carolina Public Radio

Laura Pellicer is a producer with The State of Things (hyperlink), a show that explores North Carolina through conversation. Laura was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, a city she considers arrestingly beautiful, if not a little dysfunctional. She worked as a researcher for CBC Montreal and also contributed to their programming as an investigative journalist, social media reporter, and special projects planner. Her work has been nominated for two Canadian RTDNA Awards. Laura loves looking into how cities work, pursuing stories about indigenous rights, and finding fresh voices to share with listeners. Laura is enamored with her new home in North Carolina—notably the lush forests, and the waves where she plans on moonlighting as a mediocre surfer.
Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.