Skip to main content

THE MARKLEY FAMILY present

BIRTHDAY CANDLES

  • By Noah Haidle
  • Directed by Joanie Schultz

April 19 – May 18, 2025


ROSENTHAL SHELTERHOUSE THEATRE

ABOUT THE SHOW

The ingredients for the cake are simple: eggs, butter, sugar, salt. Look closer, though, and you’ll see the essence of life itself. Every year, Ernestine bakes a cake and celebrates with her family on her birthday — a delicious ritual that unfolds onstage across 90 years of birthdays. We meet Ernestine and the people who sweeten her life every year on this day as she grows from 17 to 107 years old. Through glimpses of Ernestine’s life as the years go by, Birthday Candles tenderly explores motherhood, family, love, loss and finding your place in the universe. This charming new play, recently performed on Broadway, will warm the soul.

 

ADVISORY

Birthday Candles is recommended for older teenage and adult audiences. Using a bit of strong adult language, the play celebrates life and the pain and beauty that comes with it – from serious illness, loss and grief to love, sex, family and birthday cake.

Choose a date and time below to continue

{{monthStartDate.format("MMMM")}} {{monthStartDate.format("YYYY")}}
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
{{ day.isCurrentMonth ? day.date.date() : ''}}

EVENTS


  

SPONSORS