Suit up in your SCUBA gear and dive into The Black Box Theatre’s current production of The Shark is Broken by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon and directed by Jeremy Littlejohn which chronicles the behind-the-scenes drama of filming of what would come to be the genesis of the summer blockbuster genre “Jaws.” It focuses on feuding co-stars Robert Shaw as the professional shark hunter Quint, Richard Dreyfuss as the young marine biologist Matt Hooper, and Roy Schieder as Police Chief Martin Brody. It debuted in 2019 and garnered nominations for both the United Kingdom’s Laurence Olivier Award and What’s Onstage Award (f/k/a Theatregoers Choice Award).
Most people are not aware of the monumental problem filming the movie, that being the huge mechanical shark, charmingly named Bruce. Bruce was constantly breaking down – to the extent that director Steven Spielberg had to change his initial vision for the filming by limiting the number of scenes in which Bruce actually appears – and causing a massive budget overrun of $5.5MM.
The action takes place on a small boat where the men are stuck day after day after day, while they await repairs on Bruce. The three have vastly different personalities and those personalities clash with force of a hurricane. Shaw, although a gifted actor and writer, was also a raging alcoholic which was a catalyst to his temper. Dreyfuss, only 27 at the time of filming, is portrayed as an impatient, petulant and self-absorbed brat. He and Shaw clash often. Scheider is the adult in the room weathering the delays with the patience of a saint and acting as the peacemaker between the other two.
A triumvirate of talent rules the stage with Brad Hauskins as Shaw, Alexander Richardson as Dreyfuss, and – making his BBT debut – is Chase Austin as Scheider. Their characterizations and onstage chemistry are phenomenal and the 1 ½ hour running time flies by.
Once again, Lora Adams’ set design is astonishing. She never fails to amaze me. She has created a well-worn deck of a crude small boat that perfectly supports the claustrophobia and boredom the men experience.
Three theatres opened shows this past weekend, diluting potential audiences for all three. Fortunately, you have next weekend to reel in this winner of a show.
The Shark is Broken continues at The Black Box Theatre, 1623 5th Avenue in Moline June 19, 20, 25, 26, and 27 at 7:30 p.m. and June 21 at 2:00 p.m.
I’m Chris Hicks break a leg.