Steven Spielberg’s Jaws was released in June 1975 and is often considered the movie that introduced the summer blockbuster. Amphibian Stage’s The Shark is Broken was a befitting tribute to the fil on its opening last Friday. WIth its own summer release, Amphibian takes us behind the scenes of the famous film, but this is no tell-all. Instead, Shark is a deconstruction of masculinity throughout its three principal actors: Richard Dreyfuss, Roy Scheider and Robert Shaw.
Playwrights Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon crafted a clever show that, while often seen as a comedy, gives a hefty dose of drama and a bit of its own Godot flavor. The story all takes place on the Orca where the three actors wait out the repairs on Bruce the shark prop used for Jaws. They lament their participation in the film, they carry on about careers and dissolve into bottles of whiskey. Based on a fictionalized account through interviews and Shaw’s own memories of his dad Robert’s stories as well as actually visiting the set, Shark follows weeks of waiting by the characters with the occasional breaks for actual filming. As the show plays on, the audience finds each character taking on their role in the trio: Robert Shaw is the alpha, Dreyfuss as the bratty newcomer and Scheider is caught in the middle with heaps of patience and peacemaking.
In this production, David A. Miller’s direction was finely tuned into each actor’s strength. As Robert Shaw, Brandon J. Murphy was sublime as the grumpy actor with an air of distinguished talent and a penchant for the bottle. He disappeared into the character through his portrayal that was enriched by a consistent British dialect and conviction to Shaw’s flaws. And as a bonus, Murphy’s height played well into the character’s domineering behavior over the course of the 90-ish minute show.
Cabe expressed remarkable warmth as Scheider. The character was part mentor to Dreyfuss, peer to Shaw which Cabe straddled with ease. What felt distinct about Cabe’s work here was how much he conveyed through his eyes and face. The sincerity but also fatigue read immediately in his expressions and delivery.
Of the three characters, Richard Dreyfuss is the most colorful. His erratic energy is familiar in most of his films so to bring him to life onstage would seem tricky. Brandon Wilhelm’s performance skillfully served Dreyfuss vibes without giving obvious reference to the actual actor. Of course, Wilhelm’s own zeal was an ideal match for his character. He brought impeccable physicality that pushed some of the show’s more comedic moments and when his intensity and vulnerability kicked in, the performance was enthralling.
Scott Eddins Jr. serves as Wilhelm’s understudy for Dreyfuss.
The playwrights wrote dense dialogue but words rolled off the casts’ tongues effortlessly which truly made this show feel alive – almost voyeuristic as we watched all this drama and confessions unfold before us. What’s fascinating about Shark is that one could easily see it as a display of toxic masculinity. The contempt, the cursing, the sardonic bullying may be offputting, but going deeper, Shark felt more about men struggling to be seen and in this case, not just onscreen per their professions. The playwrights don’t make them necessarily sympathetic, but the character study of these archetypes revealed complex layers of insecurity, pride and humor that are used as either defense mechanisms or weapons.
The meta aspect of the show injected quite a bit of precocious humor. Lines about Scheider never doing a sequel or Shaw’s words regarding Spielberg’s work (“What’s next, dinosaurs?”) earned their laughs. These moments balanced the drama well and should satisfy any film enthusiast in the audience.
Brian Clinnin’s Orca boat set was a beautiful construction that smartly used multiple levels for both onstage and backstage. At first, Tristan Decker’s projection of being on open water seemed to be a simple choice, but the effect worked in not just floating the boat but also mirroring to subtle effect, the action on stage. His lighting work bathed the stage with warm and rich hues. David Lanza’s sound was effective with its layering in of voices and sound effects depicting the director (Miller as Spielberg) and offstage action repairing the shark.
My first questions at the end of this were how did this become a play? Was it a story that needed to be told? But with the playwrights’ affection for the material – especially Ian Shaw’s – and Miller’s pensive direction, The Shark is Broken was a captivating companion piece to the film, but also a strong play on its own as a deep dive (tee-hee) into the perspectives of these people exploring their own humanity on a set for a movie about a shark.
The show runs through Aug. 16. LGBTQ+ night is Thursday, July 30.
–Rich Lopez