Shit Cake (one-hour play)

by Marcia Eppich-Harris

When four friends become entangled with the drudgery of middle age, their messy pursuit of fulfillment leads to comic calamity in Shit Cake! Adulthood never tasted so bad.

Cassandra has been in therapy for a while, and today, she needs to get a lot off her chest. Cassandra is married to Aaron and sleeping with Roland. Cassandra's friend, Mimi, is married to Roland and sleeping with Aaron. Each deals with...

When four friends become entangled with the drudgery of middle age, their messy pursuit of fulfillment leads to comic calamity in Shit Cake! Adulthood never tasted so bad.

Cassandra has been in therapy for a while, and today, she needs to get a lot off her chest. Cassandra is married to Aaron and sleeping with Roland. Cassandra's friend, Mimi, is married to Roland and sleeping with Aaron. Each deals with existential questions of adulthood. Cassandra feels empty because her twin children are now at college, and she feels abandoned. Mimi is in early motherhood and feeling like she's lost her sense of self. Aaron pines for his lost youth. Roland wishes he could escape capitalism. Everyone tries to fill the void in their lives by having affairs, but everyone is using each other, and everything gets complicated.

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Shit Cake (one-hour play)

Recommended by

  • Ian Donley: Shit Cake (one-hour play)

    This play doesn't hold back in expressing its humanity. The story of two middle-aged couples learning how to re-discover themselves has been played out before. But Marcia Eppich-Harris has been able to write it out in a brutally honest fashion that serves as a wake-up call to those who feel like they've one too many a sacrifice. There are tons of great opportunities for actors who get to play these characters, each with their own point-of-view, which makes them empathetic to the audience.

    This play doesn't hold back in expressing its humanity. The story of two middle-aged couples learning how to re-discover themselves has been played out before. But Marcia Eppich-Harris has been able to write it out in a brutally honest fashion that serves as a wake-up call to those who feel like they've one too many a sacrifice. There are tons of great opportunities for actors who get to play these characters, each with their own point-of-view, which makes them empathetic to the audience.

  • Maripat Allen: Shit Cake (one-hour play)

    By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, this play looks at marriage and the dissatisfactions of middle age, when choices have narrowed and the stakes for changing course have become so high. Each character feels a void in their life and seeks to fill it with an affair. Could they be happier with that other person? If so, at what cost? Is the emptiness they feel real, or just the drudgery of every day life? These characters felt like friends who both infuriated me and broke my heart. However you feel about them you 'll be compelled by their joureny.

    By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, this play looks at marriage and the dissatisfactions of middle age, when choices have narrowed and the stakes for changing course have become so high. Each character feels a void in their life and seeks to fill it with an affair. Could they be happier with that other person? If so, at what cost? Is the emptiness they feel real, or just the drudgery of every day life? These characters felt like friends who both infuriated me and broke my heart. However you feel about them you 'll be compelled by their joureny.

  • Jessie Salsbury: Shit Cake (one-hour play)

    I had the privilege of listening to a reading of this work and look forward to a full production. This play isn’t afraid to look at marriage and how couples can play games against one another and justify it in their own minds. The twists of the two couples and the connection in their relationship was unexpected. Some great roles for actors to dig into.

    I had the privilege of listening to a reading of this work and look forward to a full production. This play isn’t afraid to look at marriage and how couples can play games against one another and justify it in their own minds. The twists of the two couples and the connection in their relationship was unexpected. Some great roles for actors to dig into.

View all 4 recommendations

Character Information

  • Cassandra
    mid-thirties, married to Aaron, a teacher, sleeping with Roland
    Character Age
    30s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any
  • Mimi
    mid-30s, wife and mom, married to Roland, sleeping with Aaron
    Character Age
    30s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Any
  • Roland
    mid-30s-40s, married to Mimi, having an affair with Cassandra, tech millionaire
    Character Age
    30s-40s
  • Aaron
    mid-30s, married to Cassandra, having an affair with Mimi, defense attorney
    Character Age
    30s
  • John
    Should be doubled with Francois
  • Francois
    Should be doubled with John