You have until March 19th to check out Colleen Curran’s Cakewalk at the Zeitgeist Stage Company. Cakewalk is a delightful play that harkens back to classic Hollywood narratives such as The Women or Bringing Up Baby. Cakewalk is about a 4th of July cake baking competition set in the 1980s. What starts as a harmless traditional holiday diversion ends up being a search for fulfillment and reconciliation of desires with identity-the one imposed upon you and the one you impose upon yourself.
David Miller, who usually delves into darker fare, directed Cakewalk. Cakewalk is safe for all audiences and is utterly charming. I was surprised at how absorbed I became in the plot and heard the audience audibly gasping at plot twists.
The acting is terrific. Victoria George does a seamless job as the central character with an honest face, but a lot to hide as the nun in disguise. (Side note: she looks related to a former work friend.) Aina Adler is pitch perfect as the bohemian friend who actually wants a simple life and has an unexpected (to her) surprise. Kelley Estes is the consummate intolerant villain with pathetic ambition. Maureen Adduci could give Kelly Bishop of Gilmore Girls a run for her money as the wealthy socialite mother and wife who wants more. Matt Fagerberg shakes things up as the only male competitor.
Ashley Risteen steals the show as Adduci’s daughter. Most postmodern actresses can’t completely lose themselves in the rigors of comedic and physical acting required in classic cinema. Risteen not only did so, but she made it look easy and natural like Marilyn Monroe or Katherine Hepburn. I have no idea if every performance will feature a neat flipping trick with her sunglasses, but if it does, wow.