Review: WAITING FOR HECATE AND THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING SECOND At Sophie's Artists Lounge

There are those occasions when going to the theatre to see new works that one does not know what to expect. The lights dim. The actors take the stage. Then you get smacked right between the eyes by an unexpected script and performances that defy every expectation. That was the recent experience with two One Act plays, WAITING FOR HECATE by e.k. doolin and THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING SECOND by Eric Satterfield and David Nonemaker that were produced by Prison Performing Arts (PPA) Alumni Theatre Company at Sophie’s Artists Lounge in Grand Center.

WAITING FOR HECATE, the new play by e.k. doolin, pays homage the absurdist playwrights of the 1950’s and early 1960’s. Directed with magnificent vision by PPA Artistic Director Rachel Tibbets, WATING FOR HECATE is a quirky play with flighty banter. Three eccentric witches, Malkie (Summer Baer), Harper (Autumn Hales), and Paddy (Katie Leemon), roost on 4x4 boxes and mull over topics such as chewing gum, demon spirits, cats, the musical of the same name, and the local legend of the Piasa Bird. The three peculiar women entertain one another’s oddball and offbeat conversation while awaiting the unseen Hecate.

e.k. doolin’s script is filled with laughs and just enough eeriness to keep you wondering what may be coming next. Baer, Hales, and Leemon all deliver slightly wacky, outlandish and offbeat performances. Tibbetts’ direction and blocking makes most of the small acting space the women are perched upon, especially when the oft tired Malkie (Baer) has to find a way to nestle on this tiny set piece where she naps. Tibbetts gets the most from her trio of performers who deliver the comedic text through delightful quips and repartee. doolin’s kooky, unconventional and utterly enjoyable play was the perfect balance to the emotionally intense THE PRIVLEDGE OF BEING SECOND that followed the intermission.

Deceit, lies and secrets lead to emotional turmoil in the intense psychological family drama THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING SECOND from playwrights Eric Satterfield and David Nonemaker. Things are not as they seem in the Winter Family Household. Camille and John have protected their second born son for the past 17-years by hiding him from the dystopian government who separates the second born child from their families to place them into a life of servitude. Satterfield and Nonemaker’s play is filled with twists, turns and truths that leave the audience stunned.

Directed by the playwright, Satterfield collaborates both as actor and director to create an unnerved feeling for the audience that slowly turns to disturbing shock as the truth unfolds. The cast, led by Alexander Huber as the second born son Reese, deliver jaw dropping performances wrought with significant anguish. Eric Satterfield (Lt. Graham and John Winter) and LaWanda Jackson (Camille Winter) play Reese’s protective parents who have stopped at nothing to protect their beloved child. Andre Eslamian (Wyatt Winter) plays the first-born son who has all the freedom that is denied his brother. All four actors commit fully to brave and gasp inducing performances that leave the audience aghast.

Billed as ‘A Chilling Night of One Acts,’ the PPA Alumni Theatre Company, has delivered two fantastic productions of well-written One Act plays featuring incredible performances and outstanding direction. Both doolin’s WAITING FOR HECATE and Satterfield and Nonemaker’s THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING SECOND deserve additional productions to find a wider audience. These two One Act plays are among the biggest surprises of the 2023 St. Louis Theatre Season.