The Shark Is Broken at Laguna Playhouse
Written by Ian Shaw, son of the legendary actor Robert Shaw who played the grizzled shark hunter Quint in "Jaws," along with co-writer Joseph Nixon, the play imagines the tense, hilarious, and unexpectedly human interactions between the film's three stars during a shoot that became infamous in Hollywood lore. What makes this production particularly special is its deeply personal connection to the source material. Ian Shaw has portrayed his own father in every production of the play since its world premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019, bringing an intimate understanding of both the man and the myth to the role.The play emerged from the younger Shaw's fascination with stories he'd heard throughout his life about the making of "Jaws," a production that went 104 days over schedule and tested everyone involved to their limits. Set entirely aboard a floating barge, the comedy centers on three trapped actors, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, and Roy Scheider, who find themselves stuck on the boat while Bruce, the mechanical shark, malfunctions repeatedly. As days turn into weeks of delays, the cramped quarters become a pressure cooker for ego, anxiety, and surprising moments of vulnerability and friendship.
The play's journey to American stages has been as dramatic as its subject matter. After selling out its initial Edinburgh run, "The Shark Is Broken" transferred to London's West End at the Ambassadors Theatre in 2021, where it earned an Olivier Award nomination for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play. The production made its North American premiere in Toronto in 2022 before finally reaching Broadway's John Golden Theatre in August 2023, where it ran through November of that year. Throughout its journey, the play has been celebrated for its sharp dialogue and its ability to reveal the making of a cinematic legend through the very human stories of the artists who created it.
At the heart of the play is the real-life tension between Robert Shaw, a classically trained theatre veteran with a drinking problem and literary aspirations, and Richard Dreyfuss, the young, ambitious Method actor eager to prove himself in Hollywood. Roy Scheider serves as the peacekeeper between them, trying desperately to maintain harmony so they can all just finish making the movie. The play divides their ordeal into three parts, beginning in the eighth week of filming and progressing through the tenth week and beyond. As boredom sets in and alcohol flows, the three men share stories, argue about their craft, and grapple with what this strange movie they're making might actually mean. Throughout it all, Shaw struggles with one of cinema's most famous monologues, the USS Indianapolis speech, finding the original script by John Milius unperformable while his conflicts with Dreyfuss interfere with each rehearsal. The play concludes with a full rendition of that iconic scene, a moment that has become one of the most celebrated in film history.
For the Laguna Playhouse production, director Pesha Rudnick helms a talented cast featuring Will Block as the young and intense Richard Dreyfuss, Gildart Jackson taking on the role of the volatile Robert Shaw, and Adam Poole as the diplomatic Roy Scheider. The design team brings the world of the Orca to life with Fred Kinney handling the set design, Michael Klaers creating the lighting, Adriana Lambarri designing costumes, Jazer Sibley-Schwartz composing the soundscape, and Alex Johnston managing props. Sean O'Shea serves as Fight Coordinator for the production's more physical moments as tempers inevitably flare.
Performances at the Laguna Playhouse, located at 606 Laguna Canyon Road, will take place Wednesdays at 7:30 pm, Thursdays at both 2:00 and 7:30 pm, Fridays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 2:00 and 7:30 pm, and Sundays at 1:00 and 5:30 pm. Tickets are priced from $56 through $121 and can be purchased online at www.lagunaplayhouse.com or by calling the box office at (949) 497-2787. The box office is open Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 4 pm.
"The Shark Is Broken" offers audiences a rare opportunity to step behind the curtain of one of cinema's most beloved films and discover that sometimes the drama happening off-screen is just as compelling as what ends up on it. For anyone who has ever wondered what really happened during those endless days at sea, this production promises to deliver both the answers and plenty of laughs along the way.