Review: THE SHARK IS BROKEN SETS SAIL at JOBSITE THEATER

FADE IN: The open ocean, 1974. Filming is delayed...again. The lead actors- theatre and film vet Robert Shaw and up-and-coming Hollywood hotshots Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider- are crammed into a too-small boat, entirely at the mercy of foul weather and a faulty mechanical star. Alcohol flows, egos collide, and tempers flare on a chaotic voyage that just might lead to cinematic magic... if it doesn’t sink them all...

Words...pulled directly from Director David Jenkins most recent Facebook post, promoting Jobsite Theater’s most recently launched production of Ian Shaw’s The Shark is Broken.

I had the immense pleasure to be among the first in the room to witness its maiden voyage, and when I tell you it is some of the swiftest 95 minutes you will ever witness.

The Shark is Broken is a comedic play written by British playwrights Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon. Its themes and storyline follow all the behind-the-scenes antics and drama that occurred and ultimately led to the making of Hollywood’s first real blockbuster film Jaws. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg and starred Shaw’s father, Robert Shaw, and also starred Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss.

The plot is simple and yet complex at the same time. The play opens with the three men on board the Orca, waiting to film the next portion of the movie. However, in its eight week of production, due to technical difficulties, and the fact that the famed shark Bruce is broken, filming has since been halted and the men are told to wait it out aboard the boat.

Through a series of vignettes representing the passing of time, tensions arise, alcohol flows, and the men begin to allow egos to take control. Establishing a heirarchy between the unlikely trio, the men share stories, play games, and drink copious amounts of liquor, all the while discovering how truly arduous the process has become.

Finally now well past its tenth week of filming, we conclude in the final moments of the play, which involves the men preparing for the wrapping stages of the film, all while still contemplating the true meaning behind the film.

Shaw’s character has over the course of the play struggled with the delivery of the U.S.S. Indianapolis speech, and decides maybe a rewrite is in order. The famous scene performed in its entirety concludes the play, and consequently wraps filming.

The three men making up the company of performers leave everything on the stage, and then some, coming together as one cohesive unit that moves without a hitch. Director David Jenkins assembled a supreme trio of performers to tackle this massive task.

As Roy Scheider, Christopher Marshall is in his element. Completely driven by his plight, and one with the source material. The voice of reason amongst the chaos. There is a scene late in the show that is so different from the rest of his character, and it is one moment that will keep the conversation flowing all the way home. This part fits Christopher so perfectly its as if Shaw wrote this with him in mind. Truly outstanding work indeed.

As Robert Shaw, Paul Potenza is magnetic. There is something that happens when he takes the stage, and this can be said for any role. He consumes the source material, to the point where he is living and breathing its every moment; he becomes one with the character written on the page, and yet still finds a way to make it his own. He is so electrifying in every moment that you cannot seem to look away. I have seen Paul in many different performances throughout the years, however his Robert Shaw is another level of kinetic energy entirely. He commands the stage, never pulling focus from the other performers, but when its his moment, he grabs you by the juggular and then releases you just as fast, and its breathtaking to experience. Truly masterful work, and one that will be talked about for time to come.

Richard Dreyfuss, played by Cody Farkas, is the most perfect of debuts. I have seen Cody’s work over the years, and his work here, proves bar none why he is one of the most talented young actors in our area. Here he breathes new life into the space, creates an energy almost combustible, and it’s so searing a performance that if you blink, you just might miss something. His comedic timing is impeccable, and unmatched here, and with Richard Dreyfuss he has found his niche.

All three men create such magnetic energy between one another that the play is over before you even know it. They captivate the room, steal your breath, and leave you wanting more. There is some seriously exciting things happening at Jobsite, and if ever there was a time to become a season subscriber, now is that time.

The back and forth, moment to moment, between the trio is like watching a Marty Supreme table tennis match, only this time, this trio, this company, this production would win Best in Show.

David Jenkins should be mighty proud of the work produced here, for it is unmistakably some of the best work to be seen on a Jobsite stage in some time. Perfection in casting, down to the fact that the men looked so much like the ones they were portraying, it was uncanny. He pulled the most out of his performers, and the results will leave you breathless.

Technically marvelous in all forms, The Shark is Broken is a hell of a good time. From the exquisite scenic design elements by Chris Giuffre, working hand in hand in perfect harmony with the lighting design elements by Joy Cadman. Exceptional costume design by Katrina Stevenson, that captures the characters individuality perfectly, and fitting of the source material. The top notch sound design by Jeremy Douglass, makes you feel as if you were truly aboard the ship. All led by the finite hand of Director David Jenkins, this is Jobsite at its best.

Ian Shaw’s The Shark is Broken is onstage now through April 5, 2026 at the Straz Center’s Shimberg Playhouse. Come aboard the Orca and its voyage of chaotic proportions, and trust me when I tell you, you do not want to miss one single moment of the incredible work captured here. Don’t find yourself out to sea without a ticket, as tickets are selling out, as fast as the liquor flows onstage. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.strazcenter.org.