tlashed

With Uaccess

ith the all-too-familiar
dream of making it in the
city that never sleeps,
Wendy Shanker boxed up
her life and boarded a
plane for New York. Today, the 26-year-
old former West Bloomfield resident lives
alone on the Upper West Side of Manhat-
tan.
With jet-black flapper-style hair falling
just below the ears, fair skin and a gleam-
ing smile, Shanker's look is as sharp as her
wit. She performs sketch and improvisa-
tional comedy and is a comic actress in Off-
Broadway theater productions.
After scoring successes as a writer for
MTV, VH1, Comedy Central and Lifetime,
she's producing her first independent fea-
ture film.
"I am still trying to create or define my
own career," says Shanker. I don't know if
there is anyone out there who is doing ex-
actly what I want to be doing. I want to
grand-slam it. I want to be writing, pro-
ducing and performing my own material
— as well as doing the same for other peo-
ple's material — while keeping a focus on
women and comedy."
She seems to be accomplishing her goals.
Shanker attended Andover High School
and the University of Michigan. Her par-
ents, Myrna and Mickey Shanker, and
brother Josh, 23, still live in West Bloom-
field.
"My mom, Myrn,' is technically my step-
mom. My mom passed away when I was
10," says Shanker. "Myrn is a major in-
fluence in my life in terms of what I'm do-
ing."
In college, Shanker majored in English
literature and spent one semester and a
summer at New York University studying
filmmaking.
"I was absolutely miserable at U-M and
at the same time I cherish that experience
more than anything," she says. "rm a big
believer in fate, and I think if I
hadn't gone to Michigan, I wouldn't
have met some of the people I met
and had some of the experiences I
had that affect what I'm doing to-
day."
She moved to Manhattan right
after graduating from U-M in 1993.
"My graduation cap was still flying
through the air when I picked up
and moved to New York. I wanted
to go into television or film, and
emotionally I loved the city and al-
ready had friends and job oppor-
tunities here," says Shanker.

She is currently producing the inde- Flushed will succeed. The movie has been
pendent feature film Flushed. The film was selected by the Independent Feature Pro-
written, directed, edited and produced by ject (IFP) to be shown on "Independent
her close friend Carrie Ansell.
Night" at Lincoln Center. The Flushed
Flushed takes place in the men's and screening is on Aug. 28.
women's restrooms of a bar. It films the
"It is an unveiling of our film and a big
raw conversations about sex, self-image honor," says Shanker. Past independent
and dating among friends and strangers films shown include The Brothers Mc-
behind closed bathroom doors.
Mullen and Welcome to the Dollhouse.
Not only is Shanker producing the movie,
The next step will be to find a distribu-
she acts in it, playing a drunk bar hopper. tor to buy the movie and put it in theaters.
"It's not a vanity piece. Pm sweaty, nasty,
"Flushed is an honest, funny movie. It
ugly and funny. I'm the
is very self-deprecating. I don't see a lot of
girl barfing in the
people like myself in film roles. This
stall."
movie puts reality into film," says
Shanker is
Shanker.
confident that
Although she describes New
York as "infectious," she
does miss some things
back home besides her
family. "I miss cheap
movies, the Stage
restaurant and
driving," says
Shanker.
"Something
about being in
the Explorer,
tooling down
696, listening
to 89X on the
radio, with a
car phone in
hand, is the
best."
Shanker
grew up at

Temple Israel and says Judaism is very
important to her. "When I'm in New York
for the Jewish holidays, I have seders and
break the fast with my friends," she adds.
Her first job out of college was work-
ing for MTV. She had previously been an
intern for the network during her stint
at NYU. "I walked out of there with a job
offer for when I graduated from college.
It's funny you have to pay money to your
school to get credits, but you pay your dues
to get work experience."
Shanker held a position that many
would envy. She was an assistant in the
celebrity talent department. She helped

Former West Bloomfield
resident Wendy Shanker
adds independent film
producer to her
list of triumphs.

JULIE WEINGARDEN

SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

book celebrities and even baby-sat them
when necessary.
"The biggest deal for me in terms of
celebrities was being able to work with
Madonna. It was my dream come true. I
was the liaison between her people and
Wendy Shanker:
MTV for a video music awards show. I've
New York is "infectious," been the biggest Madonna freak since,"
but "I miss cheap
says Shanker.
movies, the Stage
"I was there when she saw Sean [Perm]
restaurant and
for the first time ... She was very sheltered
driving."
from reality. I was hauling my ass all over
Radio City Music Hall trying to get her the
right kind of glass she wanted for her
bottled water."
Shanker worked the talent as-
sistant job for about two years
and then shifted to production
and writing. Her next position
was as a staff writer for MTV
Productions. She's been writing
for television ever since.
"My goals are to really do what
I can to make the world a bet-
ter place for women no matter
how old they are, or what they
look like, or how they feel about
themselves. I think Flushed re-
ally does that," says Shanker.

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