My name is Mary Shennanbargger, that’s with two N’s and a double G kids.  I grew up in a small town in Illinois, the Land of Lincoln. One of those blink you’ll miss it places about three hours south of  Chicago and 3 hours north of St. Louis. The “Heart of Illinois” as many dubbed it in a little town called Moonshine City, no bigger than a leprechaun’s prick, just one of the many colorful sayings my father commonly spouted as I was growing up. My mother, a housewife, and my father, the minister at the United Methodist Church of Moonshine City.

I was actually the youngest of five children, four boys and me, and I always thought I’d do something big with my life, a small-town girl with big time dreams. All I ever wanted to do was be on the stage! I dreamed of dancing in the chorus of a big, Broadway show with big fancy costumes and all.

So, at the ripe age of sixteen, I packed up my bedroom, said goodbye to my family, and I came to New York City.  And now, here I am, well into my eighties and still working in the biz.  I have had about 200 years of life experiences in my eighty-some years of life, and if your smart enough sit and listen, you might just learn a thing or two from me.  When I gave up performing, I opened the Mary Shennanbargger School of Acting where I teach PZAZZ 101, a class that combines every acting technique known to man with my real world know how.  I shoot straight from the hip.  I know this business, and with my help, anyone can have enough pzazz to make…it…BIG!