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Daughters of Lot

By Alexis Roblan; Directed by Rachel Kerry
Part of the 2012 Frigid Festival

Daughters of Lot
Stav Meishar and Naomi Bland in DAUGHTERS OF LOT. Photo by Nicholas Grant.

BOTTOM LINE: A saucy, sultry, and surprising play about feminism, today's woman, and sex.

One of the current jewels in the FRIGID Festival’s fare is Daughters of Lot, a new play exploring female sexual power and objectification. The smart piece contrasts contemporary ideas of women taking aggressive control of their sexual power against ancient examples including the (very perverse) biblical story of Lot and his daughters. All the while the play is presented as a live performance in a dank burlesque house with three fabulously naughty strippers who are bringing, through time and space, the actual daughters of Lot to imbue with a modern woman’s identity.

Daughters of Lot features a stunning cast of actresses headlined by the vibrant and indomitable Marlena Kalm and including sparkling Caitlin Mehner and earthy Stav Meishar as cohorts One and Two and the exuberant Rebecca Gray Davis and the substantive Naomi Bland as Lot’s daughters. All five oscillate between hilarious, hearty, and heart-felt and are as luminous and distinct as the naughty, flashy burlesque costumes by Jessica Bergstrom. Marlena Kalm emerges as the star, though -- a dervish of delight, debauchery, and despair who acts as M.C. and guides the audience through the playful, dynamic landscape of the performance.

Daughters of Lot purports to be a “modern burlesque,” however it more closely aligns with the classic definition of burlesque than our contemporary idea. The show features variety and outrageousness, maintaining an element of substance rather than the Billyburg idea of stripping with a gimmick. While the script shows signs of trimming at parts, the production as a whole demonstrates a marvelous collaboration between writer and director. It is obvious from Daughters of Lot that Alexis Roblan and Rachel Kerry contrived and executed a clear and resonant vision for the performance they created. Part vaudeville, part burlesque, and part socially-conscious theatre, this is a special production in the indie theatre rep.

Daughters of Lot is an exciting, conscientious, and visually stimulating show and a must-see in the FRIGID Festival line-up.

(Daughers of Lot plays at the Kraine Theater, 85 E. 4th Street between Bowery and 2nd Avenue, through March 4, 2012. Remaining performances are Friday, March 2nd at 5:30 PM and Sunday, March 4th at 4 PM. Tickets are $15 and are available at www.smarttix.com.)