John Shea (2/99, 10/99, 10/08, 1/13 Earphones Awards)
Excerpt from Audiofile 2/99: John Shea
RESERVATION ROAD
[Published: FEB/MAR 99]
Earphones Award Winner by John Burnham Schwartz | Read by John Shea, Stanley Tucci, Anne Twomey
The aftermath of a fatal hit-and-run is perceived through the eyes of three eyewitnesses. Ethan and Grace Learner, played by Stanley Tucci and Anne Twomey, have lost their son in the accident. Dwight Arno, interpreted by John Shea, had been driving with his own son when he crashed into the Learner boy, his son's schoolmate. What could turn into an exercise in bathos become truly moving, thanks to three factors--a superb abridgment, excellent acting and tasteful direction. Often in audiobooks, the director's hand can't easily be discerned. Here, however, the consistency in tone among the superb narrators comes audibly from producer Robert Kessler. He has unified the story with a laid-back intimacy. Narrating quietly and close to the mike, the readers provide more dimensionality for their roles than the writer has. In short, this is an example of a production that improves upon the book. Y.R. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine
Audiofile 10/99: John Shea
CLASSIC TALES
[Published: OCT/NOV 99]
Earphones Award Winner by Truman Capote, Edith Wharton, Fran O'Connor et al. | Read by John Shea, Carrie Nye, Malachy McCourt et al.
Recorded as they were performed by well-known actors before a live audience, these six stories make a delightful bouquet of plot, theme, style and performance. Each story is a flower in the bouquet--beautiful in itself but enhanced by being gathered and presented together. Malachy McCourt's waggish reading of Frank O'Connor's hilarious story about a little Irish boy faced with the problem of confessing that he wants to murder his ugly, old grandmother brings shouts of laughter. It is contrasted with Carrie Nye's sly, ironic reading of Edith Wharton's "Roman Fever," in which two middle-aged women compare their lives and unveil the secret that has commanded their hearts. Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory" is the final story presented. John Shea's performance of this powerful story of the friendship between a young boy and his older cousin and their Christmas preparations and celebration is electric. The presence of the audience adds to the listener's appreciation of these wonderful stories. Hurrah for Selected Shorts! L.R.S. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
Excerpt from Audiofile Magazine 10/08: John Shea
NICK OF TIME
[Published: OCT/NOV 08]
Earphones Award Winner by Ted Bell | Read by John Shea
Young Adult Young Adult • 11.5 hrs. • Unabridged • © 2008
John Shea really knows how to wring the last ounce of starry-eyed wonder and excitement out of a story. NICK OF TIME-the kind of book that kids will love-recounts the adventures of a boy who uses a time machine to help a beloved ancestor. It's got Nazis, pirates, ancient castles, and time-travel. Who can resist? Shea manages to sound like 12-year-old Nick, and, when necessary, his 6-year-old sister, Kate. Bell is a gifted writer, and Shea brings his varied characters to life. Their depiction of 1939 Britain, when many people refused to believe the Nazi threat, rings true. The young Nick McIver deserves wider recognition. M.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
Excerpt from Audiofile Magazine 1/13: John Shea
ONE LAST THING BEFORE I GO
[Published: JANUARY 2013]
Earphones Award Winner by Jonathan Tropper | Read by John Shea
Fiction • 8.5 hrs. • Unabridged • © 2012
With his latest novel, Tropper gives us Drew Silver, another delightfully dysfunctional hero. Accomplished narrator John Shea slips so naturally into Silver's persona that any sense of listening to a performance is immediately dispelled. Shea's faultless comic timing allows the listener to enjoy Tropper's signature snappy dialogue and droll humor. He proves equally adept at voicing Silver's melancholy as this self-described "middle-aged mess of a man" is forced to examine the damage his freewheeling approach to life has caused. Shea's intimate portrayal captures Silver's humanity so convincingly that one can't help rooting for this beguiling loser. Carve out some time to settle back and enjoy this because once it’s started, putting it down is not an option. M.O.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine