Searching for Robert Hennessey

About the Show

This performance will feature a post-show Q&A.

From a heartbroken six-year-old asking every delivery man “Are you my daddy?” to a grown man receiving the most shocking Father’s Day message imaginable, this is the extraordinary true story of resilience, hope, and the family we’re meant to find.

Michael-Shaun Hennessey spent three decades searching for Robert Hennessey, a truck driver who whistled at his teenage mother on a Winchester MA street. He made thousands of phone calls, followed countless dead ends, and survived unimaginable challenges—including childhood abuse, cult escape, and a life-threatening AIDS diagnosis and kissing John Stamos.

But when modern DNA technology finally provides answers, the truth is more shocking than fiction. With his raw emotion and masterful storytelling, audiences witness one man’s relentless quest for belonging transform into the most unexpected family reunion ever told.

What Audiences are saying from his powerful run at the 2025 Hollywood Fringe Festival:

“The raw honesty makes his storytelling so relatable. Mixed with humor, he shares his fascinating story so rawly. It is an emotionally edge-of-your-seat show. You just have to see it!”

“What a joy to watch! Michael is a masterful storyteller, and this is a story worth telling! It’s personal, relatable, funny, endearing, charming, emotional… and even a little mysterious! The kind of joy this show brings is exactly what we need right now.”

“Michael is an absolutely incredible storyteller who commands the stage with such magnetic presence. His energy is truly contagious, pulling you into his world and making you want to stay on this journey with him long after the story ends. I honestly could watch him all day he is that captivating and inspiring!”

“A wonderful, heartfelt, and earnest story of Michael’s journey to find his father. Michael is an expert storyteller who guides us on this rollercoaster journey. It’s looking for a needle in a haystack, but Michael never gives up.”

“It culminates in one of the most rewarding and feel good endings I’ve ever experienced!”