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Capitalizing on the popularity of the 1975 film “Jaws” (which ironically played at Actors’ Playhouse back in the era when the venue was a movie theater), playwrights Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon created both a dramatic and humorous behind the scenes look at the making of “Jaws” in their one act play “The Shark Is Broken”, running now through August 9 at Actors’ Playhouse in Coral Gables.
The story of the making of “Jaws” is not a story about the actual horror of a shark terrorizing a New England town. Rather, “The Shark Is Broken” is a humorous look at the three main actors in the film (Richard Dreyfuss, Roy Scheider and Robert Shaw) who had to endure the very, long delay of finishing the filming of “Jaws” aboard the decrepit “Orca” boat over many months while “Bruce”, a 25 foot mechanical shark, keep breaking down.
The storyline showcases how the three actors spend their time waiting around for filming to end and the many confrontations and distractions that occur between them.. As a result, the audiences are treated to funny anecdotes as well as many dramatic scenes involving the tensions.
Perhaps if all three actors were alive today (Dreyfuss is the only one of the three actors still alive), the play would be branded as a television reality weekly show series as contemporary audiences would love the behind the scenes story of famed celebrities.
The anecdotes, drama and humor that are revealed in “The Shark Is Broken” are both a tale of fiction, but also showcase factual events as playwright Ian Shaw based the play from his late father’s writings (Robert Shaw) about the time he spent working on “Jaws”.
The play showcases how the three actors confront boredom, with tales of the actors talking about their personal lives. The audiences learn about the distinctions between the three actors, with numerous stories about how each of the actors were raised, how they became actors and their innermost feelings about how “Jaws” will do commercially as a film.
What stands out more than any other incidents in the play are the multiple comic and dramatic scenes involving the confrontations between Richard Dreyfuss (actor Wesley Slade) and Robert Shaw (Iain Batchelor). What is especially both comic and dramatic are the scenes in which Shaw becomes intoxicated with alcohol and Dreyfuss talks about his insecurity about being a young actor who also dabbled with cocaine.
For example, in one scene, seasick Dreyfuss is vomiting overboard and Shaw responds “There she blows”. Another scene has Shaw lamenting how then President Richard Nixon was unique for his very low standards and further stating that there will never be such a President with the audience responding with much laughter.
To their credit, the three actors (including Adam Poole as Roy Scheider) all had a strong resemblance and sounded as the real Dreyfuss, Scheider and Shaw. The impeccable performances by the three actors, both in the delivery of funny lines and anecdotes as well as their revelations of their troubled pasts created a memorable play.
The work of the offstage personnel of Actors’ Playhouse, including director David Arisco (Executive Director of Actors’ Playhouse), costume designer Ellis Tillman, lighting designer Eric Nelson, scenic designer Brandon M. Newton and sound designer Reidar Sorenson all contributed to the audience feeling that they were onboard with Dreyfuss, Scheider and Shaw.
The real Richard Dreyfuss stated that he did not like how he was portrayed as a fool in “The Shark Is Broken”. At age 78, Dreyfuss is well-known for his starring roles in the films “Close Encounters Of The Third Kind”, “Mr. Holland’s Opus” and “The Goodbye Girl” (winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1977), along with “Jaws “.
Roy Scheider starred in “The French Connection” and “Klute” along with “Jaws” and “Jaws 2”.
He died at age 75 in 2008.
Robert Shaw was a British actor and writer who starred on stage in many Shakespearean plays and in the films “A Man For All Seasons”, “From Russia With Love”, “Young Winston” along with “Jaws”, He died at age 51 in 1978.
Actors Iain Batchelor, Adam Poole and Wesley Slade star as actors Robet Shaw, Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss respectively in playwrights Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon’s one act comedy-drama “The Shark Is Broken, running now through August 9 at Actors’ Playhouse, 280 Miracle Mile in Coral Gables. Tickets range from $40-$80. For tickets and more information, call 305-444-9293 or go to actorsplayhouse.org
