WESTPORT — It was the fish tale that made dipping a toe into the usually placid waves at Compo Beach feel a bit risky. Still, 50 years after the movie Jaws was released, its tagline — “You’ll never go in the water again” — resonates. Steven Spielberg’s cinematic classic about a great white shark terrorizing unsuspecting beachgoers is getting a two-part tribute at the Westport Country Playhouse.
Jaws, a huge box-office success after it premiered in June 1975, will be screened at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 2, at the playhouse, located at 25 Powers Court. Mark Shanahan, the playhouse’s artistic director, will discuss behind-the-scenes anecdotes before the screening, and afterward, the conversation will continue about how the movie became one of the biggest summertime blockbusters in cinema history.
To reserve tickets in advance online, click here. “The Shark Is Broken,” a play about the making of Jaws, will be staged as a play-reading performance at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 9, at the playhouse. The play was co-written by Ian Shaw, son of actor Robert Shaw, one of the Jaws stars, and Joseph Nixon. The narrative focuses on the movie’s three lead actors — Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, and Roy Scheider — during periods when filming halted and they were forced to wait until the mechanical shark worked properly. The play explores “tense, hilarious and unexpectedly heartfelt moments when the camera wasn’t rolling,” according to the theater’s publicity.
In June 1975, Jaws began running in movie theaters. Directed by Steven Spielberg, it was such a powerful film that countless numbers of people became afraid to go into the water. This year, the film celebrates its 50th anniversary, making it a terrific time to see the play, The Shark Is Broken. Written by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon, it is presented by George Street Playhouse now through Sunday, May 18, 2025. Peter Flynn directs The Shark Is Broken as it provides a funny but somewhat frustrating look at the action behind the scenes as the movie was being filmed.
Jaws began making history right from its start when Director Spielberg decided to film it on the ocean, making it a first for a motion picture set. A mechanical shark, which broke many times, was used. The team avoided using water tanks, the more traditional approach. But with this break in tradition came many unexpected problems. The unpredictability of working on the ocean at Martha’s Vineyard and the temperamental nature of the mechanical shark were huge issues the actors and crew faced. In fact, Spielberg went way over the original budget both monetarily and in actual shooting days.
The play focuses on the three main cast members as they struggle to survive all the production issues. The movie’s cast and how they tried to work it out includes three actor representations from the film: a very young Richard Dreyfuss (Max Wolkowitz), up-and-coming Roy Scheider (James Babinsky), and actor and writer Robert Shaw (Jeffrey M. Bender) work together under stressful situations. There are times when the best of each of them comes out, but then many more times that the worst comes out.
The well-written dialogue is funny and keeps the play moving at a good pace. But it is not all funny; at times it is insightful and filled with thoughts from the three men about a number of things. To pass the time between their moments on camera, the three play cards, drink, and talk. Each one has a reason they took their respective roles, and that is part of the conversation. One of the most intriguing scenes involves Robert Shaw as he became involved with refining the monologue about the fate of the U.S.S. Indianapolis. It became known in the movie as the U.S.S. Indianapolis Speech. His attempts to take the original pages given to him and his ability to bring it into a more usable format are a highlight of the show.
The actors do a good job of conveying the difficulty of working under the tough conditions they had to endure. Interestingly, they have no idea of the impact Jaws will have on the movie industry. At the end, each of them talks about their next project, showing that need to move on.
Outstanding set, lighting, and sound are noteworthy in this production. The creative team for this play did a phenomenal job creating the set. The all-important boat, where the action takes place, is big and well-designed to allow a variety of scenes to unfold. On opening night, the audience broke into an enthusiastic round of applause as the boat appeared on stage. It is an impressive prop that provides an open space in the center where the cast spends most of their time. A ladder on the back is used to show the actors as they go on and off the boat.
A backdrop of moving ocean water, along with sounds of the sea, is effective in creating a nautical feel. Lighting and additional sounds all add to the sensation of being on the ocean. Sit back and close your eyes for a moment and you might actually feel like you are at the shore. That’s how good this set is. We never see the mechanical shark, but descriptions of how it breaks help to explain how the title of this play comes to be. Yes, the shark was broken, but when it worked, the cast moved into action and finally the time to film the movie came to a conclusion.
This is a very enjoyable show to see, particularly if you are a fan of the movie Jaws. Having an opportunity to see a true story play out makes for good theater, and this does exactly that. For tickets to go see The Shark Is Broken, go to the George Street Playhouse website. The run of this play ends on May 18, 2025.
