SARASOTA – Cindy Gold describes her character Della Brady, who runs a bakery in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
“She makes cakes for any occasion, she loves butter cream, and she loves people,” Gold said.
But living in the South her views are very traditional, Gold says, creating a conflict with her ‘unspoken God-daughter,’ Jen, played by Amanda Fallon Smith.
“…one of those people who remains hopeful no matter how bad the situation seems to get,” Fallon Smith said.
Jen comes into the bakery, looking for a custom cake for her beautiful, classic wedding.
“..with some very un-classic circumstances,” Fallon Smith said. “She’s in an interracial, same-sex couple, so I think she’s kinda the person that brings these people of different backgrounds, different religions, ages, generations all together.”
Director Lavina Jadhwani says it’s challenging to have characters with so many conflicting beliefs.
“That’s an extraordinary task for me as a director,” Jadhwani said, “to remain an advocate for whoever is on stage because whoever is onstage, I think is sharing a point of view that hopefully somebody in the audience will share.”
She says a lot is packed into this 90-minute dramatic comedy.
“Our play is much like a dessert, begins very light and frothy,” Jadhwani said, “but also has deep notes of melancholy and pain.”
She hopes the play teaches us how to listen.
“Understand that people’s wants and needs and beliefs are different than their own,” Jadhwani said.
The show runs at Asolo Rep thru April 28. For tickets click here.
