UnTethered at The Tank

Tana Sirois

Tana holds a BA in Acting from The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, and an MSc in Creative Arts & Mental Health from Queen Mary University of London. Tana is a member of the international movement theatre collective, The How, and of the feminist musical comedy troupe, Broad Comedy, where she has helped raise over $2,500,000 for Planned Parenthood and The ACLU. Her original play "Crushing Baby Animals" played at The IRT theatre in NYC, and her two-person movement theatre piece, "My Favorite Person" ran in NYC at Culture Lab LIC and HERE Arts, and at Thuafier in Istanbul. She has been producing theatre for 18 years, acting for over 30, has directed Off-Broadway, and performed in over 100 theatrical productions across the USA, UK, and Turkey. She utilizes improvisation to devise movement-based work that strives for eloquence in absurdity and authenticity in chaos. Tana believes in the efficacy of art for social justice, and holds a deep respect for the profound healing power of the theatre.

Polina Ionina

Polina is a Russian-American director/actor born and raised in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Classically trained at Pace University BFA Acting program in NYC, Polina has also studied abroad in Kyrgyzstan and at the Grotowski Institut in Poland. In NY she’s worked with Interactive PlayLab led by improv pioneer and master clown Jeff Wirth, and with the experimental theater group Dzieci. Polina is a founder of The How, and has performed with and directed the ensemble at celebrated venues such as HERE Arts Center, IRT, The Tank NYC, Dixon Place, and Tuhafier (Istanbul). Work with The How includes: The Vyuga Project, Vandals, Hunger, What We Do, I Am the Wind, 5 Hour Piece, My Favorite Person, and Rat King which recently performed at Culture Lab in LIC. Polina has also worked with up and coming film-makers in NYC such as Alex Blackstorm, Sonoko Ogata, and Steve Perterson as well as industry giants such as Bob Balaban, and Lisa Robinson.