NYC

Theaters Against the War (THAW) Freedom Follies

Theaters Against War's monthly pro-peace cabaret soldiers on, now in its third year of programming. On the heels of the Freedom Follies' standing room only second anniversary celebration, the theater community responds to this month's theme of EMERGENCY as we now face an urgent crossroads in the horrors of our country's occupation of Iraq and in the continuing war on civil liberties both here in the US and abroad.

Today, even modest estimates hold that over 25,000 innocent civilians have been murdered in the ongoing war in Iraq. Dead US soldiers now near 2000 and wounded number anywhere between 15,000 and 42,500. The American public must end the violence started by our country - we cannot let another Vietnam happen in our lifetime. Meanwhile, the bad emergency news at home also piles up -- the nomination of Judge John Roberts to the Supreme Court, the despotic installation of John Bolton as the US Ambassador at the UN, the Senate's approval of Patriot Act renewal and more demand protest. Join us as THAW takes stock of the double sea change in the law of the land and international law. With short performances, song and poems, Follies participants tackle the ongoing nightmares of the Iraq War, the impact of swing vote decisions, bulldog leadership, and more at Member Theater the Tank's temporary home in association with Chashama in Midtown Manhattan.

The scheduled line up includes: Songs from Amy Clarke, Yikes McGee, Katie Down, Alec Duffy and Jamie Smith; spoken word from Pat Russell, Laura Schliefer, Karen Lillis, Paul Pierog and Nahdege Revange; a virtual submission from Annet Henneman of THAW Member from Italy, Hidden Theater read by Alexis Sottile; WARISWAR, a collaborative text penned by Alexander Barreto, Chris Danowski, Lyssa Holland, Jennifer Maisel, Glen Skip-Newell, Greg Romero, Caridad Svich, Ann Taylor, Timothy Verret and Michael Wright read by Jeanine Abrams, Leah Adelman, Regina Bain, Cate Bottiglione, Cynthia Croot, Elliot Crown, Sophia Skiles, David Zhonzinsky and Joanie Fritz Zosike.

THAW is an international network of theater artists with over 200 member theaters responding to the United States' ongoing "War on Terror", aggressive and unilateral foreign policies, and escalating attacks on civil liberties in the US and throughout the world. THAW is a 2004 recipient of an OBIE grant. For additional information seewww.THAWaction.org