Al Shea

Al Shea, born Alvin Francis Caserta, Jr., on November 23, 1927, in New Orleans, was an actor, television personality, and theatre critic whose career was rooted primarily in New Orleans. Following his parents' divorce during his childhood, his mother returned with him to New Orleans, where his name was legally changed to Alvin John Shea, adopting his mother's maiden name. His early years were spent partly in Paducah, Kentucky, where his father had found work, before the family's separation brought him back to Louisiana.

Shea demonstrated an early aptitude for performance. At ten years old, he appeared on WWL radio in the serial "The Life of Peggy Hill," playing the character Jackey. His stage debut came in 1941 at Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré, where he played Tip in The Land of Oz. He later served in the United States Navy and subsequently studied at Tulane University.

His Broadway career included an appearance in 1957 in The Music Master. On the New Orleans stage, Shea performed in a range of productions over the decades, among them Our Town, The Boy Friend, The Merchant of Yonkers, Night Must Fall, Bye Bye Birdie, Mister Roberts, and All the King's Men. He also directed local productions of Lo and Behold! and Life with Father. His final stage appearance came in 1998, in Puss in Boots.

In 1955, Shea joined the staff of WDSU-TV, taking over the role of Sparky on "Tip-Top Space Ship" from Ed Nelson. He subsequently appeared as Deputy Oops in "Adventures in Fun" beginning in 1960, and became the voice of Pete the Penguin alongside the Christmas marionette Mr. Bingle. At WDSU he also served as producer of the "Second Cup" program with Bob and Jan Carr, and from 1963 to 1973 appeared as entertainment critic on "Midday" with Terry Flettrich, conducting interviews with figures from theatre and cinema.

Shea's work as a theatre critic extended across multiple platforms throughout his career. He wrote about theatre for Gambit until 1995 and served as theatre critic on WYES's "Steppin' Out" for twenty-three years, with his final appearance on that program occurring two months before his death. He also contributed writing on the fine arts and entertainment to various other media and was a recurring presence on radio. He can be seen in the documentaries "New Orleans That Was" and "New Orleans TV: The Golden Age."

Shea's marriage to actress Janet Shea, née Bagnetto, ended in divorce; the couple had two sons and a daughter. He died on August 20, 2009, in New Orleans, from cancer, at the age of eighty-one. His funeral Mass was held at St. Louis Cathedral.