I’m going to be honest. There are three reasons why I saw this show:

1. I like Alex Brightman
2. I won the lottery
3. I thought it would be funny to see a play about the making of the movie “Jaws” without having seen Jaws.

The Shark is Broken is an 80-minute, 3-man show about what went on backstage during the filming of Jaws. If you haven’t seen Jaws, it’s about a shark. The play was written by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon, the former of which is the late Robert Shaw’s son (Robert Shaw starred in Jaws). Ian Shaw used his father’s journal from the time of filming as the basis for The Shark is Broken, and he also plays his father onstage, which is fascinating. I can imagine that writing and performing in a play about your troubled father would be…cathartic? Complex? I don’t know..choose a buzz word.

Funnily enough, Richard Dreyfuss attended the performance before the one I saw, though if I’m being honest, I doubt I would’ve recognized him, since I live under a rock. Anyway, Richard was fairly upset by the play, saying that he didn’t feel he was portrayed accurately. As the play is based on Robert Shaw’s perspective as shared in his journal, it admittedly doesn’t cast Richard Dreyfuss in the beeeeeest light. Richard (played by Alex Brightman) comes across as naive, less professional than Roy Schneider (played by Colin Donnell), and a bit simple. I didn’t think the Richard Dreyfuss character was completely unsympathetic – perhaps because Alex Brightman is very likeable – but I could understand why real-life Richard would’ve been hurt.

The entire play takes place on a small boat based on one the movie cast used as their collective trailer during filming. The boat is intricately designed and felt real and cramped, which heightened the drama onstage. Behind the boat, the stage is wrapped in a rounded projection screen that shows a dynamic ocean/sky landscape, simulating the rocking of a boat. Very cool.

Onto the play itself – it’s cute. It’s beautifully acted, and there are many funny situational moments, though I wouldn’t say it’s a non-stop laughter type of show. I liked it, but it’s certainly the most small-scale Broadway production I’ve seen. The Shark Is Broken was a hit at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and it felt like a very well-executed, polished Fringe play to me. I attended the National Alliance for Musical Theatre conference last week, and one concept discussed was the idea of matching the scale of the show to the theatre. The Golden Theatre is on the smaller side when it comes to Broadway venues (having 804 seats), but it still felt big for this show, especially considering its somewhat niche concept. Off-Broadway could’ve been a better fit.

The big question here is, “Did the play make me want to go home and watch Jaws?” And the answer is…sure? I feel like I’d appreciate the movie more now, but it’s been nearly two weeks since I saw this show and I haven’t watched it yet, so it’s clearly not a burning desire. Movie nerds, feel free to destroy me in the comments.

Honestly, I wouldn’t go out of my way to see this one unless (a) you love Jaws, or (b) you love one of the actors. If you do get invited, it’s certainly a good time, and arguably good value as well (I paid $45 for second-row seats).

The Shark is Broken is playing at the Golden Theatre on Broadway until November 19, 2023. You can purchase tickets here, or enter the ticket lottery here. You can also go to the box office at the theatre for same-day $30 rush tickets. Don’t sit in the mezzanine if you can avoid it – it’s a subtle play, so closer is probably better.

Featured image: L to R: Colin Donnell, Alex Brightman, Ian Shaw, thesharkisbroken.com; photo by Matthew Murphy.