Broadway play "The Shark is Broken" in New England for 50th anniversary of "Jaws"
There's something for "Jaws" fans coming to The North Shore Music Theater in Beverly. The play, "The Shark is Broken," gives an inside look at the relationship between the three main actors during the production of the 1975 film.
Richard Dreyfuss, Roy Scheider, and Robert Shaw spent hours out on the open water while film crews tried fixing the mechanical shark. Guy Masterson directed the Broadway production and is now back in the captain's chair for the Beverly production.
He says the actors "were getting rather frustrated and desperate, and three very different guys in a very, very small environment, and it makes for good comedy."
Broadway play about "Jaws" movie
Portraying the real people who starred in the first-ever summer blockbuster is a welcome challenge for the trio of actors on stage.
Timothy W. Hull, who portrays Shaw, says, "Having access to years of interviews and footage of them as either in that time, in 1974 or after, it helps so much in creating the character."
"I think there are certain cadences you have to hit and kind of sound like it," says Josh Tyson, who plays Scheider. "But ultimately like any character, you're bringing yourself to the role and you find what you have in common, what you don't."
Jonathan Randell Silver, the man playing Dreyfuss, explains, "It's a really fun dynamic because these three guys, they're so different."
"Jaws" is beloved in New England, and the actors jumped at the chance to be a part of this unique take on the story.
Tyson says, "I don't think I'm quite prepared for what we're walking into, but I'm very excited for all the energy that's going to be surrounding this play."
Masterson says the play comes down to one main question. "How did they survive so long on that boat in such a small space and not tear each other to bits. And if they had torn each other to bits, what would have happened to 'Jaws?' May never have happened."
Tickets for "A Shark is Broken"
"The Shark is Broken" opens at North Shore Music Theater on Friday, May 2nd and runs through Sunday, May 11th. The 50th anniversary performances of the play on Martha's Vineyard are set to start on July 5th.
