‘The Shark Is Broken' revisits the fraught filming of ‘Jaws'

Boston Globe

05-05-2025

For cinephiles and '
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The action takes places on a well-built boat created by Cigar Box Studios Inc. and conceptualized by scenic designer Duncan Henderson. It's outfitted with buoys, barnacle-covered jugs, and buckets of bloody bits. Adam Cork, in charge of sound design and original music, with additional sound by Alex Berg, helped create music along with the whir of the ocean and the creaking of the vessel, while lighting designer Jeff Greenberg mimics the small ripples of placid water and expertly punctuates the more emotional scenes with his work.
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For me, the story, directed by Guy Masterson, doesn't really heat up until about 45 minutes into the play, when the talented actors start to share more about their lives. Hull is excellent as the British and very pretentious Shaw, who spends quite a bit of time picking on the younger, less experienced Dreyfuss who (at least as the play is written) is needy and eager to be a bigger star.
There's one line that's telling from Hull's Shaw. As the actors talk of fame, Shaw doesn't seem interested in it. Fame is the byproduct of art, he says. His actual statement is laced with an expletive, but it's evident that being a star and all that comes with it cost him something. The real Robert Shaw died just three years after the movie's release at the age of 51 from a heart attack.
In the play, Shaw is drinking or looking for something to drink in most of the scenes. He tapes bottles of alcohol under tables and hides others with Machiavellian guile, and his inebriation manifests in unwarranted monologues and unnecessary fights. But when probed by Silver's Dreyfuss about why he drinks so much, he doesn't have an answer except that his father was a proper drunk.
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Dreyfuss has his own vices to tackle, from taking bumps of cocaine to tackling his low confidence. In the story, Tyson's Scheider, who is always reading the news or sharing an interesting factoid, is the peacemaker between the other two, and could use a break from the bickering and waiting.
There's a lot of downtime for the trio, who ponder if the film will be any good, while the crew works on a mechanical shark that the audience never sees. Shaw is convinced that 'Jaws' won't be a hit, and certainly won't spawn any sequels, while Dreyfuss and Schneider search for greater meaning in the script.
While it's nice to learn more about these celebrated actors and their time working on 'Jaws,' 'The Shark Is Broken'—packed with comedic zingers, many of which are Shaw's—feels like a 90-minute-long fight.
However, it's acutely geared toward — and will likely resonate with — those who remember, love, and hold dear the original film's allure.
THE SHARK IS BROKEN
Play by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon. Directed by Guy Masterson, at the North Shore Music Theatre, Beverly, through May 11. Tickets $45-$65. 978-232-7200,