“What do you think it’s about?,” asks Alex Brightman, referring to the deeper meaning of “Jaws,” the movie his character Richard Dreyfuss is filming with co-stars Roy Scheider (Colin Donnell) and Robert Shaw (Ian Shaw, playing his father). After Dreyfuss and Scheider posit weighty theories on responsibility and destiny, the no-nonsense Shaw answers, “It’s about a shark!”
The same question and directly simple answer could be made about The Shark Is Broken, the play co-written by the younger Shaw and Joseph Nixon that contains these entertaining actors (both the performers and their roles). It’s not really about anything deep or complex, but a loving tribute to the co-author’s father and a spicy, funny behind-the-scenes peek at the making of a summer blockbuster. Don’t expect any profound musings on the craft of acting, the art of cinema, or the tragedy of alcoholism destroying a promising career—Shaw was a gifted writer as well as a dynamic stage and screen presence. Just sit back and enjoy the juicy tidbits of gossip, the unchecked histrionics, and the backstage scuttlebutt.
The basic content of this 90-minute entertainment is the three stars passing the time between takes while the titular aquatic killing machine, a huge mechanical menace nicknamed Bruce, is being repaired after its frequent breakdowns. They play cards and pub games, they discuss their careers and reveal their pasts, they fight and make up until the final scene is shot. The main conflict is between the quick-tempered, alpha-male Shaw and the neurotic, insecure Dreyfuss with Scheider acting as referee and buffer between the two so they don’t kill each other.
The play is slight. It’s significant that the most impactful and emotional moments come from other sources—Shaw quoting Shakespeare, Scheider quoting “Casablanca,” and Shaw performing his “Jaws” character Capt. Quint’s harrowing account of surviving a massive shark attack (the star rewrote the speech, editing it down from four pages in the original screenplay). There are also several easy, ironic gags about Trump, climate change, and the future dumbing-down of mass-market movies. But Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon’s script has numerous hilarious scenes of Robert Shaw and Dreyfuss attempting to one-up each other, directed with precision by Guy Masterson.
Scheider’s role is underdeveloped and, in attempt to beef it up, he is given a superfluous solo, nearly silent, scene where he strips down to a bikini for a much longed-for sunbath, but explodes with frustration when he is called to the set after numerous delays. This doesn’t really develop his character and only succeeds in exposing Donnell’s admirable physique.
The hypnotic original music by Adam Cork is another weird choice. Played in between scenes, it sounds like everyone is about to have a dream in a cartoon. Fortunately, the three-man cast enlivens the material and delivers incisive portrayals of actors at crucial stages of their careers. Brightman is devastatingly funny as the brainy but child-like Dreyfuss, seeking approval from the more experienced Shaw while challenging the father figure.
Donnell has the most difficult assignment since Scheider’s role is so bland. His main activity is reading the newspaper and spouting little-known facts. Yet Donnell manages to create a vital through-line for his role: maintaining peace and getting through the picture with everyone in tact. In the central role, Shaw brilliantly recreates his father’s bluster and charisma as well as his vulnerability, particularly during drunk scenes. Duncan Henderson’s detailed set of the confining boat and cabin the video design by Nina Dunn for Pixellux create the perfect backdrop for this flawed but fascinating behind-the-scenes comedy-drama.
