Review: THE PROS & CONS OF KILLING YOUR CULT LEADER is Wickedly Clever at The Weird Sisters Theatre Project

Cults are coming into vogue as more and more films, TV shows, and plays are shining light on the murky inner workings of these zealous, and often abusive, groups. THE PROS AND CONS OF KILLING YOUR CULT LEADER written by Becca Twiggs and produced by The Weird Sisters Theatre Project is a quick-witted and charming show. PROS & CONS is a sharp, contemporary satire that pokes holes into the fabric of what cults really are. 

A suggestive backdrop commands center stage as deep stairs nearby lead down into a well-utilized church basement space. A small kitchenette parallels a small seating area and The Women’s Chamber of the PROS & CONS cult often congregates around a small dining table. Michael Tarver’s set design gives us a satirical eye into this fictitious cult. 

Familiar mugs, believable poison antidotes, and a notable professor nameplate pass through actors' hands as Amber Brown’s props make their rounds around the stage. Brown is also the show’s fight and intimacy coordinator and during moments of contact, both fight and intimate,  all actors appeared confident. 

Bright and naturally fluorescent lighting is most common in Lindsey Sharpless’s lighting design. During key moments of drama and flashbacks, however, we are treated to more stylistic lighting choices and recognizable songs that evoke a strong sense of each character’s inner life. 

Imani Quiñones' sound design has delicious moments, such as a slow and ethereal soundtrack that underscore Anne’s realizations. However, a few of Quiñones' decisions felt distracting, such as using character voiceovers after those same characters had just been speaking.

As naïve as she is bloodthirsty, Anne - played by the effervescent Alejandra Ruiz - is the youngest member of the Women’s Chamber. Ruiz plays into the extremes cults often cultivate, swinging wildly from programmed thought to new revelation with dexterous ease. 

Brittani Minnieweather plays Nicole, the boldly outspoken member of the Women’s Chamber. Minnieweather brings her usual bombastic nature to the role, delivering a fun and powerful performance as Nicole grapples with what is true and what is fantasy. 

Sarah, one of the voluntarily celibate members of the Women’s Chamber, is a devoted late-bloomer. Played by Cate Lightburn, Sarah’s story is one of discovering who you really are later in life (and by that, I mean roughly in your mid-20s - early-30s). Lightburn adeptly brings to life a transformation from blissful ignorance to joyful revelation. 

Often acting as the default leader of the Women’s Chamber, Jennifer is a grounded and logical presence. Actor Jaclyn Hofman Faircloth taps into her “mom-friend” energy, only to later revisit her inner teenager with a striking veracity - reminding us all just how vulnerable being a teenager can feel. 

Playing the Founder’s Wife Catherine is the talented Kelly Criss. Criss delicately balances a rigid need for order and control with a vulnerable pain that lies behind a hard shell. As Catherine faces a sudden new reality, she volleys between grief, relief, and truth.

Played by Parris Sarter, Michelle is the other voluntarily celibate member of the Women’s Chamber. Once a respected professor, Michelle abandons her “real” life in academia after being fired by an “asshole” higher up. Sarter brings incredible intensity and passion, acting so forcefully that her words sometimes come second to her action. 

The only man in the cast is Adam King, who plays both The Founder and literally every other man in the show. Dads, professors, and fiancés all visit the stage opposite different members of the Women’s Chamber. King switches hats with ease, creating fun and discrete characters with his every entrance. 

Joke after joke flies at you in Becca Twiggs’ lighting-fast script. It sometimes gives you the feeling of whiplash - as soon as you finish laughing at one joke, there’s another.  The plot unfolds just as quickly, providing quick snapshots of the characters that make up Twiggs’ biting satire of fundamental Christian cults. PROS & CONS is just as fun as it is thoughtful, and it’s a lot of fun.

Under Lilliangina Quiñones' direction, excellent care is taken with the subject matter. An evident empathy with the women onstage permeates throughout the show. Well-organized scene changes sweep across the stage like waves, changing time and place as they go. I wish more breathing room had been given to moments of connection. Some were so brief that I nearly missed them entirely. 

PROS & CONS moves into the Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern this August 6th - 9th. You can catch the last few PROS & CONS shows there. I’m looking forward to seeing what these Weird Sisters conjure next!

THE PROS & CONS OF KILLING YOUR CULT LEADER is playing from August 6th - August 9th at the Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern - get your tickets here! Follow the author of this review on Instagram here: @obie8outlaw 

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