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Meet the Family
Whitham family is an avant-garde creative trio. Based in LA, they specialize in experimental comedy, independent film, fine art, and live theatrical performance.
Their combined work is a breathtaking tapestry of films, art, sculpture, experimental television, and boundary-defying theatrical performance that ignites the imagination.
April and Jared dreamed up Whithamworks as their magical umbrella—one that floats above their family’s wildest ambitions, showers their projects with possibility, and shelters a world where creativity can play and flourish.
At the heart of their creative adventures is Whitham Works Studios, their magical live/work haven in East Hollywood—where ideas spark, laughter echoes, and every day brims with artistic possibility.
Meet The Family
April Hava Shenkman
April Hava Shenkman is a whirlwind of comedic brilliance, an avant-garde performance artist, and filmmaker who has spent over two decades reinventing the landscape of live theater in Los Angeles. Described as a "true original", her electric showcase is a mesmerizing collision of mediums—blending rapid-fire speed talking, operatic impromptus, Hollywood golden-era star impersonations, and spontaneous gibberish. To experience a live performance from her is to witness a beautiful, chaotic spectacle that critics playfully describe as The Judy Garland Show directed by Federico Fellini. Her rare talent allows her to effortlessly tap into the raw human core, leaving audiences laughing and crying simultaneously without fully understanding why.
Rooted in a rich creative lineage, Shenkman’s artistry is deeply informed by historical entertainment traditions. As the granddaughter of famous Hollywood animator Ben Shenkman, she grew up surrounded by classic star caricatures, fostering a deep childhood affinity for Vaudeville, the Golden Age of Hollywood, and European theater. She formally honed her craft with a B.A. in Theatre, a residency at the International Theatre Festival in Bosnia, and studies at England's Guildford School of Acting. Crucially, she studied and performed with the legendary Rachel Rosenthal & Co., connecting her directly to the lineage of foundational feminist performance art. Today, she channels these historical threads into modern triumphs like The Marvelous Mrs. Shenkman and The Gatz Benny Show at the historic Bob Baker Marionette Theater, proving that vintage wonder can seamlessly collide with contemporary absurdity.
Whitham family is an avant-garde creative trio. Based in LA, they specialize in experimental comedy, independent film, fine art, and live theatrical performance. Their combined work is a breathtaking tapestry of films, art, sculpture, experimental television, and boundary-defying theatrical performance that ignites the imagination. April and Jared dreamed up Whithamworks as their magical umbrella—one that floats above their family’s wildest ambitions, showers their projects with possibility, and shelters a world where creativity can play and flourish. At the heart of their creative adventures is Whitham Works Studios, their magical live/work haven in East Hollywood—where ideas spark, laughter echoes, and every day brims with artistic possibility.
Jared Whitham
Co Executive Director
Jared Whitham operates as a delightfully unpredictable wizard of the modern avant-garde, self-described as a "neo-dadaist post-pop non-stylist" American artist. His creative universe is an untamed playground where medium boundaries completely dissolve; he seamlessly synthesizes enigmatic oil paintings, surreal performance art, punk-infused music, and handmade underground films. Propelled by what he calls "conceptual antics," Whitham famously hijacked the public airwaves in 2008 by broadcasting his own multi-million-dollar financed UHF television station—the Jared Whitham Channel—to millions of unsuspecting New Yorkers. Infusing his life with a brilliant streak of mythical whimsy, he currently creates from a Los Angeles home he equates to Dorothy's house from The Wizard of Oz.
Historically, Whitham’s work serves as a colorful bridge between the rebellious anti-art movements of the early 20th century and the wild, democratization of the digital age. By anchoring his ethos in Dadaism, he channels the chaotic, anti-establishment spirit of Hugo Ball and Marcel Duchamp, weaponizing absurdity to disrupt the corporate mundane. Yet, his trajectory is distinctly modern; as an internet video pioneer and collaborator with counterculture icons like filmmaker Nick Zedd and Dame Darcy, he anticipated the decentralized explosion of modern media. From the streets of Brooklyn to prestigious global stages like Miami Art Basel, Whitham transforms post-pop commercialism into a continuous, handmade revolution. He proves that art does not belong solely in quiet galleries, but alive in the noisy, beautiful ruckus of everyday life.