Born in Evansville, Indiana, Sater is a summa cum laude graduate of Washington University in St. Louis. While in college, Sater was forced to jump from his balcony to escape a fire in his apartment. He suffered serious burns, multiple vertebrae, and broke other limbs. The months spent recovering from his injuries and burns inspired Sater to teach himself Ancient Greek and pursue the arts. He continued his studies and received a master's degree in English literature from Princeton University.
After completing his graduate program, Sater took a position with a New York City literary agent but continued to write plays on the side. It was during this time that he joined the Soka Gakkai International, a Nichiren Buddhist organization. His membership proved important to his life beyond spirituality, as it brought Sater together with both his future wife, and his future creative partner, Duncan Sheik.
Soon after meeting in 1999, Sater collaborated with Sheik on his play Umbrage, with Sheik providing the music for Sater's lyrics. For Sheik's third studio album, Phantom Moon, Sater provided all of the lyrics, and Sheik set them musically. After extensively revisiting the work to incorporate the music, the play was produced again in 2013 under the new title Arms on Fire.

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