Four Seasons Theatre

Makin' Cake

with Dasha Kelly Hamilton

An African American in a red dress with medium length hair smiling as she sits behind a cake decorated with 'Makin' Cake' frosting text. Text next to the photo reads, "Four Seasons Theatre MAkin' Cake with Dasha Kelly Hamilton

Friday, March 10 & Saturday, March 11

7:30pm

The Playhouse

$25 - $35

Runtime

2 hours with a 15-minute intermission

Age Recommendation

No one under age of 6. Recommended for ages 12 and older

A Creative Community Conversation about Race, Culture and Class through the History of Cake

Part history lesson, part social science revelation, “Makin’ Cake,” a spoken word theatrical performance that slices into American history exploring race, culture and class, is a short story about America's sweet tooth and pathway to salvation. Refreshing and fun, “Makin’ Cake” leaves room for dessert and dialogue with a cupcake reception immediately following the performance.

Shaping dialogue and narrative around the idea of cake is a way to examine ingredients where we typically only indulge the frosted finale. If cake were our national conversation, what can we learn from the layers, from the active agents blended into the recipe and process?

Dasha Kelly Hamilton

Meet the Artist

An African American in a red dress with medium length hair smiling as she sits behind a cake decorated with 'Makin' Cake' frosting text

Dasha Kelly Hamilton

Named Poet Laureate of Wisconsin and Artist of the Year by the City of Milwaukee in 2021, Dasha Kelly Hamilton introduces herself as a “writer, performer, facilitator, mother, daughter, sister, builder, dreamer, phenomenon and change agent.”  An internationally traveled speaker, she hosts live storytelling events for “The Moth,” has released four spoken-word recordings, has written two novels, and appeared on HBO presents Russell Simmon’s “Def Poetry Jam.”   She founded Still Waters Collective in 2002 as an open mic and grew the event into an organization and award-winning community-building initiative.

Dasha Kelly served as an Arts Envoy for the U.S. Embassy to teach, perform, and facilitate community building initiatives in Botswana and the island of Mauritius. She was also an artist in residence in Beirut. She has been an adjunct professor at Mount Mary University, Alverno College, Bryant & Stratton and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University and an MA in Marketing Communications from Roosevelt University.

Support for this production was provided by the Great Performance Fund for Theater, a component fund of the Madison Community Foundation.

Upcoming Theater Events

  • March 28 - March 29

    Educational/Talks, Theater New Works: On Deck

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    Experience "Steady She Goes" and "Dan Seavey: Confessions of a Great Lakes Pirate" as part of the Four Seasons Theatre's production "New Works: On Deck."

    Multiple Showtimes
  • April 4

    Saturday

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    Overture Center is honored to welcome the incomparable Audra McDonald to Madison for an unforgettable evening of music and artistry. The Tony, Grammy and Emmy winner stands alone as one of the most celebrated performers of our time.

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  • April 9 - April 26

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    Multiple Showtimes
  • April 24 - April 26

    Classical Music, Madison Opera, Music, Theater Così fan tutte

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    Multiple Showtimes
  • May 2 - May 17

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  • August 14 - August 22

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    Multiple Showtimes