“Birthday Candles”, now playing at North Coast Repertory Theatre, is a curious mix because existentialism and birthday cake are not a combo I usually crave. Yet thanks to a charming cast and a moving central performance by Margot White, this blend of humor, heartache, and hope is something richer than expected.

Margot White stars as Ernestine, a woman we meet on her 17th birthday, full of questions and grand ambitions, and journeys with her as she ages to 101. The play unfolds in a series of birthday snapshots as each scene, some long, some no longer than a flicker of light, checks in on her life. Each birthday celebration follows a recipe started by her grandmother; she makes the traditional family cake, measures her height on the wall, and contemplates her life and future.

White plays Ernestine through the decades without ever relying on wigs or age makeup. Her physicality does the heavy lifting as she incrementally slows, softens, and deepens with each passing year, in a way that is quietly effective. She also bakes a real cake onstage that includes measuring flour, sugar, eggs, and even buttering the pan. (“Waitress,” I'm looking at you and your incorrect baking sequence for making a pie crust.)

White's scenes with James Newcomb, as her lifelong friend Kenneth, are especially tender. The chemistry among the cast, which includes Martin Kildare, Katie Karel, Matthew Grondin, and Emelie O’Hara, plays multiple roles across the decades, giving each version of the family heart and humor.

The kitchen itself is cozy and timeless, thanks to Marty Burnett’s warm scenic design. Lighting by Matthew Novotny glows softly and marks time with elegance. Director David Ellenstein keeps things moving at just the right pace, finding emotional beats in the repetition, which is quite prevalent.

Playwright Noah Haidle loves an echo, seemingly more interested in reprise than genuine exploration. We hear the same lines across decades, which start to wear thin without any additional detail or context. Characters proclaim things like "I am a rebel against the universe. I am waging a war with the everyday!” in their teens, only to be reduced to stock roles later in life: the anxious daughter-in-law, the rebellious teen, or the wayward husband. Each leap forward in time is made without an understanding of what happened in between.

The secret ingredient to believing this journey is Margot White, who captures both the stubborn spirit of youth and the quiet ache of aging.

“Birthday Candles" is a quirky, time-hopping dramedy about love, loss, and life. The real tragedy is that in the end, no one even gets to eat the cake.