17JUNE2025 "Talk Back," a scripted artist talk performed by
and Alex Tatarsky, written by Peter BD, and underscored by Shane Riley. This conversation was part of Cold Reading: Nile Harris x Alex Tatarsky, featured in 99 Canal's annual 5x5 performance series. Below is a written response to the event by Giorgia Alliata.
In response_Giorgia Alliata:
Speakers:
Nile Harris is a performer and director of live works of art. He has done a few things and hopes to do a few more, God willing.
Alex Tatarsky (they/them; born 1989 in New York, NY; lives and works in New York, NY, and Philadelphia, PA) makes live performances in the unfortunate in-between zone of dance, theater, performance art, and comedy—drawing on traditions from vaudeville to futurist poetry. Their practice embraces the figure of the bouffon, a European clown type said to live in the swamps at the edge of the kingdom, who was not only allowed to mock the king’s power but rewarded for it. Tatarsky’s original solo pieces have been presented at a wide array of venues including La MaMa, MoMA PS1, The Kitchen, Judson Memorial Church, Playwrights Horizons, and Abrons Arts Center, as well as comedy clubs, bars, basements, and trash heaps. As curatorial fellow at the Poetry Project, they organized a series on the poetics and politics of rot. Along with collaborator Ming Lin, they form one half of Shanzhai Lyric and its fictional office Canal Street Research Association. Tatarsky experienced fleeting fame as Andy Kaufman’s daughter and used to perform as a mound of dirt.
TRANSCRIPT
recorded on 06.06.2025
AT: The “Talk Back” by Peter BD.
NH: Nile Harris as Nile.
AT: Alex Tatarsky as Alex.
AT: Um, Balda, where's our water? In our rider, we were supposed to have sparkling waters with lemon?
NH: I requested extra sparkling water with extra lemon.
AT: (haha) Okay, sorry. This talk back is already starting in a strange way, because Balda didn't read our rider. Balda?
NH: Do you think Balda cares that we have sparkling waters?
AT: Yeah, I never met a rich Italian man who ever gave a damn to my sparkling waters.
NH: Maybe we should forget about the sparkling water, even though it was very fucked up for Balda to ignore our artist rider.
AT: (clasps hands together) Well, okay, then. Good evening, audience. Thank you for witnessing greatness!
Greatness is what we just bestowed upon you with that cold reading.
NH: It was an honor to treat you, sheeple, to that epic performance.
AT: Now, now, Nile. Don't call them sheeple. Just because some of them can't comprehend the level of iconicity that we bestowed upon them doesn't mean that you should refer to our audience in a derogatory manner.
NH: I don't like listening to white people. I don't like when they tell me what to do. I only like when they pay me. (Love you, though)
AT: (laughs) Well, I am an ally, so I definitely see the point that you just made.
NH: I love you so much. I mean, you're Jewish, so you're not really white, I guess—
AT: Let’s not go there.
NH: I love going there. There is where I feel most comfortable.
AT: Yeah, I love to go there as well, but maybe it's just a different type of there.
NH: We both love going there. It's who we are as performers. White, Black, Jewish, whatever, whenever. I'm always going to go there, especially when the money is right. Art money, nonprofit money, it's all the same. I guess this is some sort of talk, yeah? I'm glad to be here with you. You look cunt in that outfit, friend.
AT: Why, thank you. I don't really feel cunty. So you saying I'm a cunt just gave me a boost of confidence. It's great that we get to be here. I love that we just performed, and I'm just like chatting with you.
Nile does jumping jacks
AT: You're warming up before we delve deep into our artistry. I can dig it.
NH: I felt good just then. I felt like I was the Tony Soprano of the art world.
Nile singing: I felt good just then, I felt like I was the Tony Soprano of the art world.
AT singing: I feel like I'm Tony Soprano every single fucking day of my fucking life.
NH: You have a beautiful voice, Alex.
AT: (weeps dramatically then stops) Nobody ever said anything so lovely to me. I usually get “that was weird and freaky and avant-garde,” and people are like, “that performance was crazy,” or “that was the wildest shit I ever witnessed in my life,” or “I'm from Nebraska, and no one is freaky there.” People say things like that to me in bodegas and malls and Duane Reades, but you saying that I have a beautiful voice… I mean, it really hit me. You also have a beautiful voice.
NH: Thanks. And, I mean, I know. I started taking voice lessons with Luther Vandross’ singing coach, so I'm not really humble about how impressive I am vocally.
AT: What do you want to discuss during our talk?
NH: Oh, what do you want to discuss during our talk? (dramatic tone)
AT: I just gave you a compliment about how you sound like a combination of Luther Vandross and Axl Rose. And now you're reading me for filth. What's up? You want to fight me or something?
NH: (SCREAMS AHHHHHH)
AT: You think you can fucking out-avant-garde me, Nile? Is that what this is?
NH: No one's trying to out-avant-garde you. I'm just feeling really weird today about all of this and what I'm called to do on this earth, and how I don't feel like performing lately, but I like being paid to perform (real), and how I just want to be paid to exist. I randomly screamed as a way to vent my frustrations.
AT: Damn. That paragraph was actually incredibly avant-garde. Klaus Nomi could never.
NH: One time I did a performance and someone told me it was giving Klaus Nomi.
AT: I don't think you give Klaus Nomi at all.
NH: Thanks, bitch. What do I give?
AT: Bitch, what you give hasn't been given by anyone yet, so you give your own original giving.
NH: Thank you.
AT: You're welcome, bitch.
NH: BITCH
AT: BITCH
NH: Bitches and whores.
AT: Whores and bitches.
NH: What exactly is a whore and a bitch? Stephen Hawking could have ate with a theory on this.
AT: Men. Men are whores and bitches.
NH: Makes complete sense. Though I guess you think I'm a whore and a bitch.
AT: It's giving projection.
NH: No, you just said all men are whores and bitches.
AT: Yes, and Chris Rock got slapped by Will Smith at the Oscars. Who gives a fuck? None of this shit makes any sense.
NH: Okay, now that you put it that way, I feel a lot fucking better. So what's going on with this audience? Why is everyone staring at us all crazy?
AT: Whoa, now, buddy, don't call them crazy… Some of them are too boring to be crazy.
NH: I think it's kind of crazy when people are boring. Like, why would you want to do that? Why would you want to do that?
AT: Bro, I don't know why anyone does anything anymore. I've stopped thinking and conceptualizing and trying to understand. “No comprendo” is my motto. Like somebody just blast me into fucking outer space already.
NH: (cries)
AT: What? What did I say to make you weep with reckless abandon, with sheer misery, and force?
NH: The last person to call me “bro” stole a pair of my mom's Louboutins. I was two years old at Disney World. I still haven't recovered from this painful memory.
AT: That's crazier than anything I've ever heard. That's crazier than 9/11. I'm so sorry that happened to you.
NH: I don't forgive you, and you'll have to accept that.
AT: That's fine. It's just something I'll have to live with. Let's change the subject.
What exactly is an artist talk?
NH: According to AI, an artist talk back refers to a post-performance discussion or dialogue often facilitated by the artist or moderator, where audience members can engage with creators of a work—i.e. play, movie, music, performance—to discuss their experience and gain insight into the creative process. It is a chance for the audience to ask questions and learn more about the production.
AT: Let's keep AI out of this. We're artists. We are not Sam Altman.
NH: lol, Peter Thiel.
AT: I don't want to be talking about him. Don't mention that shithead to me.
NH: I ironically matched with Peter Thiel on Raya. He wanted to wear a diaper. He wanted me to order him around while he wore a diaper.
AT: The same exact thing happened to me. He matched with me on Tinder before I was married.
NH: He looks scary. It's giving scary billionaire. I want his money.
AT: I want his money too, but he's so evil and lizard-man-like.
NH: Excuse me, rude patron of the arts, please refrain from screaming until the talk back is over.
AT: Bitch, shut the fuck up with the screaming!
NH: That was probably one of Peter Thiel’s minions.
AT: He's always sending his Dimes Square minions around to fuck with people.
NH: Socially awkward, fake Nazis speaking their iconoclast when nobody cares. Nobody outside of Canal Street cares about these crackers.
AT: Yeah, people are really feeling themselves.
NH: Everybody riding their own dick. Like, shut the fuck up. Nobody cares.
AT: Tell it like it is.
NH: Shit is so annoying. Doing this talk back in front of some fake Nazis.
AT: Yeah, listen up. If you're a fake Nazi, please exit the premises fucking immediately.
NH: They won't. Everything is sardonic to them.
AT: Can someone in the crowd explain why sardonicism is a way of life before we start discussing Balda’s personal life?
NH: 99 Canal is giving money laundering schemes. But, you know, we love you Balda. And no one’s going to answer you about sardonicism. And if they do, they're going to sound hella nervous and socially awkward. (voice shaking like RFK Jr.)
AT: He's so not sardonic.
NH: He's an earnest nutcase.
AT: Do you want to talk about Abrons Arts Center?
NH: Okay.
AT: Okay, so we both had shows at Abrons Arts Center, like the last couple of years.
NH: We did Sideways and Harvey Land and This House Is Not a Home.
AT: Unfortunately… yeah, unfortunately, I don't feel like we have time to go into our practice. Yeah, Balda is signaling to me that we're out of time.
NH: So many factors played into us not being able to delve deeper into our practice. What a shame.
AT: Yeah, is there anything else that you would like to say to the crowd before the talk back is over?
NH: Oh? No.
NH: That was Talk Back by Peter BD, everybody.
AT: Thank you. Shane Riley, Nile, Peter BD, Balda, 99 Canal.
About 5x5
Over the course of 5 nights, our annual performance series pairs 5 artists and curators to present live, in-progress work across performance and film. Each collaboration is entirely self-directed, there are no fixed formats, outcomes, or expectations.
It’s intentionally low-stakes, a space for open dialogue. After each event, we share selected content to extend public engagement, inviting the work to be revisited and shaped over time.
99 Canal is an artist-run program based in the heart of Lower Manhattan, New York City. Fostering a community-centered environment, we facilitate artists' access to professional studios and public exposure to experimental practices, with a strong emphasis on moving image and performance art.
As a 501(c)3 Non-Profit, both our Studio & Public Program encourage artists to lead urgent conversations and collaborative projects, sharing their open-ended work and ideas with a dedicated audience.
www.99canal.net | IG: @99canal.nyc | 99canalstreet@gmail.com
