April Fooling: Profile on April Hava Shenkman

photo by Marilyn Shenkman

The month of April is coming to a close, but this week profiles another April, who spreads her Happy Happy celebrations all year round: April Hava Shenkman! It’s a wonderful way to introduce a subject matter Your Begin will continue to explore: the multitude of meanings and insights to be found in the archetype of the Fool! So if there is anyone familiar to being an April Fool - it's this leading lady of comedy!

Often seen in her take on white clown-face, April spins the charms of vaudeville, old Broadway, and classic Hollywood with a contemporary approach, that rather deconstructs and reassembles the way we typically view those iconic styles.  April has a very keen eye for visuals that she employs in all of her costumes and props. She’s known for the way she can talk quickly, like some kind of auctioneer gone wild, and speaking in a hilarious gibberish that mixes different languages together. Of course one of the first thing everyone notices, is her signature hair-style: the little bundles of spiky hair (see her comments about them below). All of these elements and more come together to spread the cause of happiness.

April with her cast of merrymakers on April 1, 2010 - photo by Trevor Eyster

April currently pours her talents into “The Happy Happy Show,” which began as a live theatre cabaret event around Los Angeles and has now transitioned into an online web series.  Comedy it seems, runs in the family: her parents are often seen in her work, especially  “Pappy” as a very funny sidekick in hobo clown make-up and a tutu on “The Happy Happy Show,” and her brother is an accomplished comic with his own series of productions. They inevitably help each other, creating an unusual family dynamic that enjoys clowning around for the good of all (more about that below)!

When I first met April in the workshops of Los Angeles’ Cultural Treasure, Rachel Rosenthal, she had already developed her own style that fit well with the performance techniques we were honing. She and I had a connection over the fact that we share the same birthdays - December 29th - Capricorns!  For several years we worked on group and collaborative pieces, where she employed her comic timing and skill to great affect. One of my favorites was an asburdly dark comic piece we did together called “Sunscreen & Tomatoes." It starts out as with a clownish couple arriving to a beach. I'm being a totally disgusting "dude" while April does this very manically wonderful thing with a bunch of tomatoes, poking and squishing them with her fingers as if taking out her frustrations on them. It was so bizarre, and had the audience in stitches. She has a remarkable ability to reach such intensity with her performance, it inspires those next to her to go for it too.

April and I in "Sunscreen & Tomatoes" - video still

I asked April to answer a few questions about her art & process:

1. How do you describe yourself as an artist?
I am a performance artist: creating & performing new avant-garde comedy performance works in stage & film.

2. What does “Happy, Happy” mean to you?
Happy Happy, is happiness, for the sake of happiness. Without needing a cause or reason to be happy, HAPPY HAPPY promotes the inner core being, at liberty in bliss. Happy Happy = celebrating the holiday of LIFE.

photo by Jason Jenn

3. How is clowning/fooling important to you in your life and society?
The clown, is ageless, timeless & completely universal. The make-up exposes the cracks, as well as the illustrious glow, held in the human heart. Becoming the "clown" is becoming the ultimate me - that is a mega version of who I am as a person, it gives me permission to be bigger then life & completely, "show-up." Showing-up promotes "waking-up." And sometimes, the smile needs a nudge to remember it's been there all the while. The clown / the fool, is the free spirit, the liberated human. The clown teaches me, how I want to live my life... Happy & Free.

4. What and who have been major influences and inspirations for your work?
Federico Fellini , Charlie Chaplin, Rachel Rosenthal, Richard Foreman, Old Hollywood, Old Broadway Musicals, Vaudeville, Surrealism, Japanese Theatre, European travels - travel in general, love, romance , My Family, Holidays & cultural celebrations around the world

displaying old Hollywood glamor - photo by Leslie Moon

5. You have some very strong visual themes (like cakes, pigs, Chinese elements, etc.), can you explain a bit about their meaning and use? 

Each performance has it's own visual significance.  I've always been into symbolism, signs & colors, choosing a particular pallet per piece. Usually when I become obsessed with visual, as I did once with cake, I can't help but use it... I'm still obsessed with cakes. The Pig, well, I like pigs, but the pig choose me. But really, it's what ever calls to me, as the stimuli of the piece. I think visually first.

April wrangles her pigs in "Orange" - photo by Mark

6. You have strong family connections and involvement in your work. How does family factor in to your work?
My family has always been a great source of inspiration for me. I've always gotten a "kick" out of my own family. I've always been very close friends with my family, and have really allowed myself to be in awe of where I come from. My family has always been top supporters & fans of my work, and it organically evolved into collaborations, and working together.
My father, Chickster Shenkman, was the first entertainer I was awe inspired by. Since childhood, he's impressed me with his impersonations & voices - he's a creative genius. When I started creating my own shows, it only seemed natural to put him in. "April Fools Pig!" was the first show of mine, that I wrote my father in as, "Pappy." Which has evolved into him being my co-star in my webisode, The Happy Happy Show. I've also been blessed with Adam, my brother who is a comedy performance artist, who I collaborate with often. We've grown-up together as artists, living together & sharing pursuits, we've been able to act as great supporters to each other's worlds. And now, I'm happy to have my mother, the "shy one," in some of my webisodes, who is no longer shy. She's been exposed to the theatre for  so many years, that it's only natural for her too, to come & play. We've been noted as The modern Vaudevillian family of Hollywood; which is somewhat of a rarity in modern times. A great gift it is, to work with my family.

April and "Pappy" - photo by Paul Zollo

7. So, just what is with the hair? ;-)
I call it the "tree-swan-kewpie."
I like funny hair. I let my hair be funny.

8. What’s next for you?
My current project & focus, is THE HAPPY HAPPY SHOW. I have 7 episodes released, and more to come.
My theatre has metamorphosed into film, by this show. And I am excited to create more HAPPY HAPPY - making the world happy again, one smile at a time.
I hope to bring The Happy Happy Show to TV soon!

And so does Your ReBegin!
Check out more of April's work at these links:
www.TheHappyHappyShow.posterous.com
www.youtube.com/aprilhavashenkman
www.aprilhavashenkman.posterous.com

photo by Marilyn Shenkman

A graphic design we collaborated on for one of her past shows

April in a masked versions of herself - photo by Leslie Moon

CRAZY FOR A FOX (Part 2): MARIANNA

The multi-talented Marianna Fox at her Silverlake gallery opening Feb. 2011

Two weeks ago I talked about the importance of creative friendships and the artist Krys Fox as he made his gallery debut in Brooklyn. This week we turn our attention to another Fox -- Marianna Fox, a multitalented artist who is also connected by the bond of Phyllis’ Garage, an intimate performance and art venue created out of the place I called home with R. Sky Palkowitz from 2001-2002. Sky and I have co-hosted a plethora of events since those early days and are celebrating the 10 year anniversary this year with PGX (Phyllis’ Garage 10) which will include several events in the coming months - more information forthcoming!

Marianna & Sky performing at Phyllis' Garage in 2002

While Sky and I share a most unorthodox collaboration worthy of scratching the head over at times, I’ve found it to hold a variety of riches on this artistic journey. One of the greatest benefits about such a friendship has been the lovely mix of people that Sky befriends on a regular basis, and Marianna Fox is one of the coolest I’ve had the pleasure of calling a friend by association. I admire the many faceted nature of Marianna’s talents. To be in her presence is to immediately feel the energy of a sharp mind, a passionate soul, and fierce performer. She is a creative inferno who tackles all manner of art forms with a bold precision.

I love this festive 2004 pic from my "Personalized Mythology" photo series

I recently caught up with Marianna at her art opening at Mornings/Nights cafe in Silverlake. Marianna is a bicoastal entity, splitting her time primarily between NYC and Los Angeles. The digital collage mixed with painting works on display were those created in her LA studio. While in NYC she works on different types of work. This approach seems to help Marianna manage her various interests, and each environment determines the type of material she uses. But wherever she goes, music follows, and its her beautiful voice and guitar playing that I most know her for. Here’s some archive footage of an impromptu performance at Phyllis’ Garage Art Be-In Day in 2001:

Marianna answers 5 Quick Questions:

1. How do you describe yourself as an artist? What type of work do you do?
I describe myself as a Renaissance Artist. I revolve my worlds around creativity as it hits me. I follow the work till its done. But, I might revolve other arts to inspire the others. Some people say, "stick to one thing". I say, "why", and ruin my fun....one thing I do have is focus so all my work gets done.
The type of work I do could be song writing, singing, performance art, photography, and mixed media. Sometimes all is combined....I'm also a healer/massage therapist for 21 years which has been a huge part of who I am and the energy that I can put out to the world.

2. If you could only choose one, which is your favorite media, and of that, which is your favorite piece you’d want most to share with others, and why?
Hmmm, this ones hard to answer...I'd probably say music, because it is what I was born with...being a child in a musical family....I don't have a favorite piece, really...If I do a piece or performance, it is always important to me and is my favorite at the moment...I like to keep things fresh and moving.

3. What/who have been the major influences and inspirations to your work?
I would say that travel and nature have been the major influences in my life...hearing random peoples stories inspires me and triggers creativity...then I see color and images that lead me...Often, the moment before I sleep, I see myself doing new things and creating...sometimes its just a feeling that comes over me....I am inspired by any performance that has pure passion of creativity...

4. What comes to mind as one of the most interesting circumstances behind the creation of a particular work?
When I'm in the groove of creating, I start to buzz literally...The excitement is so much fun and it creates happiness around me too...That is very interesting to me...Its not a selfish thing, its something I like to share...When I take on a certain project and commit to it...I am very confident that it is right and that all the stars are aligning...Then I move towards it with passion...Its what I live for....

5. What’s next?
Next projects are a soultry modern album which I just completed with Songwriter/Producer Carter Tutwiler and will be out soon....performing it with the band...Also learning jazz standards and will perform eventually with my brother James Fuchs(Musician/Producer)...We will definately give it another twist. Normally I am doing all my own material but I'm trying things a different way and learning a hell of a lot..
I will have 2 pieces of Art in TOAST Tribeca at the Salomon Arts Gallery in Tribeca NYC at the end of April...
And a big show at the same Gallery in June with another artist...working out the details now...Next year will be another LippyLu(Multi Media performance art show in Los Angeles Ca), where I do all the music and work on background video with my performance partner Jon David Casey as we perform in front of it....you can see samples of my work on Facebook (Marianna Fox)(lippiLu)

Marianna before the show @ Phyllis' Garage in 2002