Now on Sale: “The Cake” by "This Is Us” writer Bekah Brunstetter
- ACT News
- Jun 17
- 3 min read
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2026
Media Contact:
Coburn Goss, Artistic Director
501-353-1443
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Argenta Contemporary Theatre (ACT) continues its 2026 Season of Community with The Cake, a funny, heartfelt comedy by acclaimed playwright and television writer Bekah Brunstetter.
Best known for her work on the hit television series This Is Us, as well as Maid, American Gods, and Switched at Birth, Brunstetter has built a national reputation for creating characters who are funny, flawed, and deeply human. In The Cake, she brings that same blend of humor, compassion, and emotional honesty to the stage.
Running July 8–26, The Cake follows Della, a successful North Carolina baker whose life is upended when a young woman she helped raise returns home with an unexpected request. What unfolds is a funny and moving story about family, friendship, faith, and the challenges of understanding one another in a changing world.
For Brunstetter, the play grew out of her own experiences. Raised in a conservative Baptist family in North Carolina and later immersed in the worlds of theatre and television, she began writing The Cake as a way of exploring the tensions, contradictions, and connections she experienced between those communities.
The play's title is rooted in Brunstetter's own life. Growing up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, her favorite birthday tradition was a pink lemonade cake from a local bakery. Even after she moved away, her mother found ways to make sure the cake reached her each year.
"The cake is emblematic of her undying love for me," Brunstetter said.
Like the cake itself, the play is ultimately a story about relationships, family traditions, and the ways people remain connected even when they disagree.
It was important to Brunstetter that the play remain balanced and that its central character, Della, not become an easy villain.
"It's about grounding Della and making her real and human," Brunstetter said.
That commitment to empathy extends throughout the play. Rather than presenting easy answers or clear villains, Brunstetter invites audiences to spend time with a character wrestling with change.
"I wanted to put a conservative person at the forefront of a play and see if I could get an audience to empathize with that person," she said. "And then take the person on a journey of a small amount of realistic change."
The result is a comedy filled with warmth, humor, and compassion. Rather than asking audiences to choose sides, The Cake invites them to recognize the humanity in people whose experiences, beliefs, and perspectives may differ from their own.
Brunstetter has often described herself as an optimist, a perspective reflected throughout the play.
"I feel really strongly that movies and plays and TV right now should be optimistic because there are so many horrible things right now," she said.
Directed by Heather Dupree, The Cake stars Natalie Canerday as Della, Jeff Bailey as Tim, LeAnne Roberson as Jen, and Melody Small as Macy.
Following the performances on Sunday, July 19 and Sunday, July 26, ACT will host post-show conversations featuring community leaders and members of the artistic team, inviting audiences to continue exploring the themes and questions raised by the play.
Content Advisory: The Cake includes adult themes and language and is recommended for mature audiences.
Performances will take place at ACT II – The Sharon Heflin Performing Arts Center, located at 315B Main Street in North Little Rock.
Preview performances will be held July 8 and 9, with VIP Opening Night on Friday, July 10. The production runs through Sunday, July 26.
Tickets range from $25 to $60 and are available at argentacontemporarytheatre.org.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Preview Performances
Wednesday, July 8 at 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, July 9 at 7:00 p.m.
VIP Opening Night: Community & Press Night
Friday, July 10 at 7:00 p.m.
Additional Performances
Saturday, July 11 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 12 at 2:00 p.m.
Thursday, July 16 at 7:00 p.m.
Friday, July 17 at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 18 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
*Sunday, July 19 at 2:00 p.m.
Thursday, July 23 at 7:00 p.m.
Friday, July 24 at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 25 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
*Sunday, July 26 at 2:00 p.m.
*Following the performance, ACT will host a community conversation featuring local leaders and members of the artistic team.
About Argenta Contemporary Theatre
ACT is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to nurturing and advancing the performing arts through performance, education, and community collaboration. We recognize that today’s artists operate in a culturally diverse and technologically evolving environment, and ACT is committed to promoting and presenting work that reflects these dynamic conditions at both our mainstage theater and education center.
Coburn Goss, Artistic Director
Jeremy Williams, Executive Director
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