Art Hennessey is the Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Essayons and is also a playwright, director, actor and teacher.  His play I GO SOLO was nominated for an IRNE in 2003 for best new play and his short play TRUMPETER won best play in the 2004 Short Takes Festival at Arlington Friends of the Drama.  Art teaches INTRO TO ACTING and INTERMEDIATE ACTING classes with Amanda, and also offers private coaching.

Amanda Good Hennessey, co-Artistic Director of Essayons, received her MFA in Acting from the Actors Studio Drama School at the New School University in New York City. Amanda joined Essayons in the fall of 1999 as they began creating the wacky multimedia production Live Hostage Crisis!  She has been involved in every production from that point on as an actor, writer and/or producer.  Amanda has written and produced the following plays: Chorus Girls, Steamship Authority, Mail and She-Mail, Internet Speed (Actors Theatre of Louisville 10 Minute Play Contest Finalist) and From Here to There.  She has also done voice-overs, and industrial and commercial work. Prior to joining Essayons, Amanda performed in New York and Martha’s Vineyard. Amanda is a teaching artist at the Huntington Theatre Company and has also served as Playwriting Mentor there.  Amanda and Art teach INTRO TO ACTING, INTERMEDIATE ACTING and also offer private coaching. And yes, she is married to Art