THE STORY OF LOT'S WIFE
Nancy Manocherian's the cell theatre
August 9-25, 2024

THE STORY OF LOT'S WIFE is a performer-less play, much like a Catholic Stations of the Cross, that re-centers the biblical story of Lot and his family onto the character of Lot’s Wife. In this re-centering the unnamed woman is not turned into salt, she chooses to become it to preserve the historical traumas the Sodomites, and all queer people, have endured. In this private and introspective piece individual “pilgrims” are welcomed into a curving, blue velvet lined space and receive a booklet of poems exploring queer identity, memory, and loss through the lens of Lot’s Wife. The piece moves through the shrine welcoming audience members to complete a series of actions with water, salt, text, and their own memories.

Originators 

Text, design, and construction by Dan Daly
​Lighting design by Zoe Griffith
Soundscape by Julian Singer-Corbin
Overall assistance by Lydia Funke

​Lot's Wife was developed by Dan Daly at  ​Nancy Manocherian's the cell theatre (Artistic Director Kira Simring) in New York City as a
part of the cell’s 2024 Residency Program.

Performance history

The first performances of LOT'S WIFE was at Nancy Manocherian's the cell theatre from August 9-25, 2024.

Reviews

"The Story of Lot’s Wife... is about a lot more than a biblical yarn."
Mark Rifkin. This Week in New York

"At the halfway point of Lot’s Wife, Daly has placed an empty plinth. The text gently requests, “Mentally place the name of someone who has supported you through times of pain; times of growth; times of happiness; times of bliss.” 
Walking in, I would not have predicted the name that came to mind. But Daly’s work had nudged my brain, ever so slightly, towards a broader frame of understanding."
Joey Simms. Transitions

"The Story of Lot’s Wife is, primarily, an art installation. Or maybe primarily a poem. Or maybe ultimately a radical act of queerness."
"The Story of Lot’s Wife is simpler, quieter in its design, delicate – and breathtaking in its effect.​"
Jonathan Mandell. New York Theater