From poetry to production, Dasha Kelly-Hamilton does it all. She is an author and advocate, who uses creative outlets to share messages about equity and advancement. Her latest production, Makin’ Cake, will be held live at Northglenn Arts’ Parsons Theatre on Saturday, Feb. 24, at 7:30 p.m. The show will explore American history, race, culture and class, and will feature a special guest appearance from renowned dancer and choreographer, Cleo Parker Robinson.
The idea and premise for Makin’ Cake stems from Kelly-Hamilton’s desire to create a safe space for people from all walks of life to engage in conversation about differing sociological experiences. She constructed a creative storyline around the analogy of baking a cake, with each ingredient representing inequitable privileges only available to a few and not the whole of humanity.
At one point in time, sugar was only afforded to the wealthy. The time it took to bake a cake was only available to those who were not tending someone else’s land. People who did not own domestic animals were unable to produce the dairy that was churned into butter. Making cake was, in fact, a luxury.
“We’ve always had cake. Cake just hasn’t been possible…for everyone,” says Kelly-Hamilton, who points out that historically, most American residents have struggled to afford basic ingredients to make the dessert that has become commonplace with changing economic and social landscapes.
Each ingredient and its symbolic representation reflects a story steeped in cultural history, which Kelly-Hamilton has arranged into a unique conversation of racism and classism. The bitter elements are softened by the quasi-correlative process of baking a confectionary favorite.
With discussions about red velvet cake, chocolate devil’s food cake, honey cake, applesauce cake, ash cake, pineapple upside down cake, johnny cake, apple crisps and even the illustrious Baked Alaska, there are lessons about the formation of our great nation, changing social standards and economic trends. Each social shift required care, just like a cake’s assembly requires caution to avoid underbaking, overbaking or one of many chemical catastrophes affecting the entire structure. The presentation features an exploration of the way race, culture and class have affected the country’s structure and the role they’ve each played in our lives today.
“There’s a sweetness in being able to have a tough conversation this way,” states the cake enthusiast, who will appear on stage with pre-selected bakers.
As the production tours, two bakers from each city will be selected to join her on stage. In some cities, the bakers will be amateurs; in other cities, they will be bakery owners and cake aficionados. Throughout the show, they will mix, measure and blend ingredients while Kelly-Hamilton gives an oratorical presentation about equity in America. As the audience watches the construction of tasty dessert, Kelly-Hamilton’s storytelling will dive deep, with lessons that combine historical and social science revelations. Though the topics will remain the same in each city, the conversations unfold differently with each new audience.
With so much happening on stage during the production, a team effort is required to prepare the set and avoid kitchen mishaps. The crew – including Kelly-Hamilton’s husband who facilitates the baking scenes – and the exceptional technical team all work to make sure all the pieces are in place while the creator takes center stage.
The Makin’ Cake audience is in for a treat. After the ingredients are perfectly blended in the first half of the performance, the second half features an interactive conversation where audience members can talk about what they heard, how they felt, and what questions they have. With a new understanding of how history plays a role in modern relationships and experiences, each member of the audience has an opportunity to contribute to the conversation from their own perspective.
“Being able to be a part of this is always special,” says Kelly-Hamilton. “You have these different life experiences that are going to be represented in the audience, and people always have different reactions; but the flow is familiar.”
Underneath the lighthearted theme of baking a cake, her real-life stories and serious scenarios have a strong impact that permeates the hearts of spectators.
“It’s a shared experience, so there’s a feeling of openness. At the end of the performance, the whole audience has gone through something together and there are a lot of emotions when you’re talking about something difficult.” For Kelly-Hamilton, the conversations that occur after the performance are meaningful and provide an authentic ending to a powerful moment in time.
She refers to herself as a creative change agent, with tools to unravel unconscious bias and underlying prejudice through performance. “I contribute – as a whole – for our kids to be better now and in the future. That’s my living contribution,” she says.
As Makin’ Cake continues to tour throughout the United States, Kelly-Hamilton is excited for opportunities to present her work in new cities, building partnerships with new audiences and bakers from coast to coast.
Makin’ Cake is a story about history and humanity, recovery and redemption. It’s the bitter with the sweet, and it’s makin’ its way to the front range.
Editor’s note: For tickets and more information, visit www.Northglenn Arts.org.
Born and raised in Denver, CO, Ruby has traveled and lived internationally, spending time near major metropolitan cities such as Baltimore, Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans and Copenhagen, Denmark. She has been recognized by the Colorado Press Association for her editorial community reporting, and actively participates in programming that advances racial justice and diversity in media. With a background in nonprofit administration, she seeks to strengthen communities and transform lives through education, empowerment and activism. She is the CEO and Founder of PRSM Business Services and PRSM Communications, and her focus areas include history, empowered women, relationships, business, entertainment, youth leadership, arts and culture.
