In Defense Of John Shea

To the editor: I found the Chris Perry Bluff Walk column to be noteworthy and well researched, but his cheap shot criticism of John Shea was over the line.

John Shea was not being melodramatic or hyperbolic by expressing dismay over the volume of people on the Walk or some very questionable behavior by others who may think Sconset is an island version of New Hampshire's "Story Land" or Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean." It is not an immersive or interactive experience. Sorry. Walk in awe....but keep walking, no? Peering into windows and doing much more on the porches of homeowners are concerns that are calmly worth itemizing before town officials. And Chris Perry may want to look up the definition of "coquettish." Perhaps Larry Flynt might have found the porch rendezvous charming. Few others would.

And allow me to correct the record as to John Shea's acting breakthrough. It happened in 1980 in the film "Missing," not in the TV show "Lois & Clark" more than a decade later. It is also worth noting that John Shea single-handedly resurrected the Theatre Workshop of Nantucket in 2009 with the play "The Day Lehman Died," which was performed in Judy Seinfeld's exquisite home. It was a tremendous success, which inspired many affluent attendees to support the Workshop for years to come. I should know. It was a privilege for me to be part of that stellar ensemble cast.

The Bluff Walk will continue, John Shea will act and direct, and tourists will go home happy. It remains very hard to kill really great things.

Gabe Caggiano