The Tank Announces Programming for FAST & FURIOUS COUNTDOWN

The Tank has announced Fast & Furious Countdown, a celebration of the fourth anniversary of Fast & Furious (F&F). The Tank's ongoing series F&F began in 2016 to create a platform for artists to respond to current events. Each month, artists create short works directly in response to a particular headline or story of the previous week as a way to process, bring attention and humanity to issues, and speak truth to power.

To celebrate the fourth anniversary of F&F, The Tank will present politically-driven shows alongside the F&F series on CyberTank from October 6 through Election night on November 3.

"I cannot believe it's been four years since we had our first gathering in the old Tank on 46th, and I am so proud to have been a part of all 43 F&Fs and counting, first as an artist who was just always lurking at The Tank, and now taking over as full time producer," said Producer and Curator Tank Associate Artist Kev Berry. "I hate to be that guy who says, 'now more than ever,' but I mean it: we really do need our artists these days, and we need art in order to survive. Like Paula Vogel has taught us, 'Art keeps the heart resilient, activism keeps the heart resistant.' As we move through what's almost guaranteed to be a rough few months, come keep up the good work and fight the good fight with us."

Fast & Furious Countdown will include the following programming, which will all be available via CyberTank.

F&F 43: 4TH ANNIVERSARY EXTRAVAGANZA

Tuesday October 6 at 7PM ET

Celebrate 4 years of F&F with host and producer Kev Berry and a cast of Fast & Furious regulars. None of us can believe we've been doing this for 4 years, none of us can believe we've had to do this for 4 years, and the work reflects the stunning sense of disbelief we've all been feeling lately.

Live performance exists to serve as America's cultural conscience. It is the artist's responsibility to make work that shines a light on things when they're wrong, celebrate them when they're right and model alternative possibilities. This kind of work can change hearts and minds. The artist's ability to act fast and create work quickly in response to events, policies and general dumpster fires has never been more crucial, as they participate in building the language of resistance.

Each month, a group of artists comes together to create performance pieces in the 7 days leading up to the event in response to the headlines of the week. The work tends to be made very quickly and, in many cases, very furiously! Artists interested in presenting work can email host and producer, Tank Associate Artist Kev Berry at kev@thetanknyc.org for more information.

F&F 44: ELECTION NIGHT SPECIAL

Tuesday November 3 at 7PM ET

On November 3, join host and producer Kev Berry for the annual Election Night Special. A cast of artists, old and new, will share their hopes for what the results of the night might be, and grapple with how we might move forward when we wake up the next day, regardless of the results.

Live performance exists to serve as America's cultural conscience. It is the artist's responsibility to make work that shines a light on things when they're wrong, celebrate them when they're right and model alternative possibilities. This kind of work can change hearts and minds. The artist's ability to act fast and create work quickly in response to events, policies and general dumpster fires has never been more crucial, as they participate in building the language of resistance.

Each month, a group of artists comes together to create performance pieces in the 7 days leading up to the event in response to the headlines of the week. The work tends to be made very quickly and, in many cases, very furiously! Artists interested in presenting work can email host and producer, Tank Associate Artist Kev Berry at kev@thetanknyc.org for more information.

CYBERTANK VARIETY SHOW

Tuesdays at 4PM ET

Free

Accessible via The Tank's YouTube Channel or via the Tank website

For the F&F Countdown, The Tank's regularly scheduled weekly CyberTank Variety shows on Tuesdays at 4pm will become CyberTank Fast & Furious Afternoon Action Hours inviting their community of artists to draw inspiration from panelists dedicated to direct political action. The schedule is as follows: 10/6 - Best of F&F, hosted by Kev Berry; 10/27 - Amplifying Activists Together, led by EllaRose Chary, Natasha Sinha and Jay Stull. Hosts for 10/13 and 10/20 will be announced at a later date.

A POP OF POLITICS

By Marcela Onyango and Vanessa Jackson

Sunday October 18 at 8PM ET

A Pop of Politics is a variety show where Beyonce is as rigorously discussed as Glass-Steagall. Vanessa is a pop culture specialist and has a healthy distant relationship with politics. Marcela just recently found out who Taylor Swift is, but she follows every ACLU case. When their powers are combined, they are pop politics queens. On A Pop of Politics Marcela and Vanessa will catch each other up on their subject matters and invite comedians to discuss the matters of the day. The show will feature sketches, characters and comedians who give the audience a healthy dose of pop culture and politics.

OUR INVENTION OF TRAGEDY

Cast and Collaborators: Renee Harrison, Drita Kabashi, Mirra Kardonne, Macy Lanceta, Susan Ly, Alice Marcondes, Madelyn Robinson, Ana Semendo, Sarah Alice Shull and Zoe Zimin

Directed by Meghan Finn

Friday October 23 at 8PM ET

Our Invention of Tragedy details what happens, and where someone might go, when that someone "falls out of the All" (Mac Wellman, The Invention of Tragedy). Full of cats, dogs, people dressed as cats and dogs, existential dread and good old-fashion goof-botting, Our Invention of Tragedy explores isolation and groups and offers an, albeit strange, island in a storm of true chaos (chaos that we experience in fake and real worlds and everywhere in between.) Written and (virtually) staged by the women of the most recent staging of Mac Wellman's The Invention of Tragedy, Our Invention of Tragedy is real spooky, real weird, and real real.

Special Thanks to The Tank, Skye Morse-Hodgson, and Mike Cassedy.

WACK OR WOKE? ANDREA COLEMAN JUDGES THE LAW - SUPREME COURT EDITION

By Andrea Coleman

Saturday October 24 at 8PM ET

The New York Times, TimeOut NY and NPR top pick Wack or Woke? Andrea Coleman Judges the Law is back and this time, instead of passing judgment on crazy laws, comics will be ruling on the Supreme Court itself.

As seen on PBS' All Arts Channel, Wack or Woke? is a comedy show where a black woman is finally in charge of the law. There has never been a black woman on the US Supreme Court, this show serves as a comedic remedy. Real life lawyer and comic Andrea along with comic guests will riff and rule on the Supreme Court. Coleman will also highlight the black female judges she thinks should be shortlisted for the Supreme Court. Come laugh and learn while Andrea and comedian guest judges give their take.

4 YOUR INFORMATION

Produced by Collin Knopp-Schwyn

October 27 at 9:30PM ET

4 Your Information is a show of 15ish presentations, each 4 minutes or less, from people who have a lot of really specific knowledge about niche topics. Maybe you'll hear about a mysterious unsolved mystery from 50 years ago in Australia. Maybe you'll learn about fish reproduction. There are probably other possible topics too, but that's just what's on Collin's mind right now. You're gonna learn. You might laugh. Maybe you'll cry? There will be WordArt. And there will be cash prizes for the best presentations, as decided by a secret panel of judges! Hosted by Collin Knopp-Schwyn.

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