John Shea (born February 10, 1964 in

Somerville, Massachusetts Somerville ( ) is a city located directly to the northwest of Boston, and north of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a total population of 81, ...

) is an American

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

. Most of his plays are set in his hometown of Somerville, an old industrial suburb of Boston which has gentrified rapidly in the early 21st century. His one-man show, "JUNKIE," produced by Argos Productions, was nominated for an Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) award. Shea's work often depicts down-and-out characters struggling with addiction, alcoholism and the legacy of their Catholic upbringing. Others tackle subjects like racism, child molestation and homosexuality in the Catholic church. Between 2005 and 2007, he was a

Huntington Theatre Company The Huntington Theatre Company is a professional theatre located in Boston, Massachusetts and the recipient of the 2013 Regional Theatre Tony Award, under the direction of Managing Director Michael Maso. It is notable for its longstanding artist ...

Playwriting Fellow. His work has been produced at the National Playwright's Conference at the Eugene O'Neil Theatre Center, Boston University's New Play Initiative, the Tristan Bates Theatre Company in London, Boston Playwright's Theatre and the Huntington Theatre Company's Breaking Ground Festival. Shea attended the playwrighting program at

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original campu ...

. He lives in the

Magoun Square Magoun Square is a neighborhood centered on the intersection of Broadway and Medford Streets on the border of Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts. It is located between the neighborhoods of Ball Square and Winter Hill. It is a mixed-use urban ...

neighborhood of Somerville.

Creative works

* ''Comp, produced by the

Boston Playwrights' Theatre Boston Playwrights' Theatre (BPT) is a small professional theatre in Boston, Massachusetts. Led by artistic director Megan Sandberg-Zakian, it is the home of the Graduate Playwriting Program at Boston University. As a venue, BPT rents its space to ...

. * ''Erin Go-Bragh-less'' * ''The Hill'' * Claire Silva * Junkie * Faces of the Dead * The Painter * Aberdeen

References

1964 births Living people Writers from Somerville, Massachusetts American dramatists and playwrights Writers from Boston Place of birth missing (living people) {{US-playwright-stub