Janet Shea

Drama: Assistant Department Chair Theatre Arts, Diction

As one of the leading actresses in the New Orleans area, Ms. Shea has garnered many honors and awards, including the Big Easy Award (six) and the Storer Boone award (five), and Marquee Awards (four) including Lifetime Achievement Awards, and Jefferson Performing Arts Award for distinguished acting.  In 2000, she was honored as one of Citibusiness’ Women of the Year.  She is in the Who’s Who among American Teachers and has achieved recognition from the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana.  She is a member of Actors Equity Association, the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Radio and Television artists.  She has 50 years experience in drama, comedy and musical productions on stage and in film.  She has starred in “Gray Gardens,” “Beauty Queen of Leenane,” “Full Gallop,” “Dorothy & Alan,” “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “Sweeny Todd,” “Cabaret,” “Beauty and The Beast,” “Miz Caraway & the Kingfish,” “Steel Magnolias,” and many others.  She is one of the founding members of NOCCA Stage Company, having directed “True West,” and performed in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and “Violet.”  She has directed several plays for Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré, Jefferson Performing Arts Society, Delgado University and Loyola University. Her film work includes “King Creole” with Elvis Presley, “Blaze” with Paul Newman, “The Adventures of Huck Finn” with Jason Robards and Elijah Wood, “Sonny” with James Franco and Nicolas Cage, “A Perfect Day” with Rob Lowe, and “American Violet.”  Her background also includes her B.A. from St. Mary’s Dominican College, M.A. from University of New Orleans and Classical Theatre BADA, Oxford, England.