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April Hava Shenkman, is a Comedienne, Performance Artist extraordinaire from Los Angeles. She has been acting since childhood, and developing her unique style of comedy for over the past decade. Inspired by the Golden Age of Hollywood, Vaudeville, European Clowns & the Avant-garde, Hava's comedy gives birth to a new genre all of it's own. Hava's impeccable technique makes her talent a signular sensation. Her comedy is highly stylized, vastly vocalized & rich with golden era star impersonations, speed talking, operatic impromptus, gibberish & jokes!
Imagine The Judy Garland Show directed by Federico Fellini, to get a feel for what you're in for, when you experience an April Hava Shenkman performance. She's an Artist who possesses the rare ability to make you laugh & cry, without even knowing why. Entrancing audiences for years, her work transcends time, touches the human core and magically whirls wonder.
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Hava's work has been presented at numerous theaters, galleries & comedy venues across America. She received a B.A. in Theatre from The University of La Verne in Southern CA. She spent a year at The Guildford School of Acting in England, where she completed a post-graduate acting course. She then went on to study with legendary Performance Artist Rachel Rosenthal. She performed with the Rachel Rosenthal Company in Los Angeles between 2004-2007.
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Hava is the creator of THE HAPPY HAPPY SHOW, a comedy variety show that ran weekly at the historic El Cid Theatre in Los Angeles. She also created THE HAPPY HAPPY SHOW web series, of which she produced 11 episodes, all available on YouTube. In 2012 Hava completed her 2nd comedy art film series, HAVA Calendar, composed of 12 films, one for each month, which has been exhibited at Iam8bit Art gallery in Los Angeles & the 909 film festival at Pitzer College. Her one woman show HAVA ran at Atwater Crossing & the Gardenia Club in Hollywood. In May of 2014 she created a 16 ft. tall giant Hava instillation & performance, Inside Herself, exhibited & performed LIVE at Iam8bit gallery, L.A.. April has produced numerous solo & ensemble theatre productions in Los Angeles over the past decade. Her original full length shows include April Fools Pig! and Chinatown, Ciao!
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April has been a regular guest on JP Houston's Americna Parlor Songbook which airs nationally on KVCR FM & PRX, Ron Lynch's Tomorrow Show & Frank Conniff's Cartoon Dump at Steve Allen Theater, Lindsay Benner's Women in Vaudeville at Bob Baker Marionette Theaeter, Brookledge Follies at the historic Brookledge Theatre in Los Angeles & Scot Nery's Boobie Trap in Hollywood.
April's one woman show COCKAMAMIE premiered at the Steve Allen Theater, Hollywood APRIL 1st, 2017.
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April made her National TV debut on
THE GONG SHOW series premiere, June 2017 Episode 1 on abc. Performing her famous "Speed Talking Pig Speech" which wowed celebrity judges Will Arnett, Ken Jeong & Zach Galifanakis. Host Tommy Maitland, aka Mike Myers thought her act was gorgeous, and she didn't get gonged!!!
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April also produces with her family,
a weekly LIVE STREAM COMEDY SERIES on YouTube CHICKSTER'S NEST LIVE, presented by Shenkman Studios.
April co-directs the unscripted show with her husband Jared Whitham, and co-stars on show with her Father, Chickster Shenkman & Mother, Mariln Shenkman. Streaming EVERY WEDNESDAY 8pm on YouTube Visit Chicksters Nest Channel on YouTube Subscribe & experience the madness,
we call Chickster's Nest. Based on the award winning TV pilot. Now in it's 2nd year running!
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April's pregnant Comedy Special FLOCKED OUT premiered & was filmed LIVE November 16th 2019 at The Bob Baker Marionette Theater in Highland Park.
The Marvelous Mrs. Shenkman is to be released FEBRUARY 1st , 2022 on TubiTV & DVD MOD
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"Forget your troubles, come on get Hava!"
LA WEEKLY
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