“The Shark is Broken” Opens at Left Edge Theatre in Santa Rosa March 27
| The first summer blockbuster movie is being filmed—but no one working on the film would know it. Dive deep into the tumultuous, murky waters of the making of a major motion picture with testy, feuding costars, unpredictable weather, and a shark prop whose constant breakdowns are looking like an omen for the future of the movie. In this comedy co-written by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon, the short tempers of Jaws stars Robert Shaw (father of co-writer Ian), Richard Dreyfuss, and Roy Scheider take center stage as they bond, argue, drink, gamble, and pray for an end to the shoot, not knowing it will change their lives forever. “The script never lets interest lag over the play’s ninety minutes, the tension, humor, depth, silliness and horror coming like waves lapping the boat.” —Associated Press. “THE SHARK IS BROKEN wittily excels not just as a clever time capsule, but as an examination of male bonding and competitiveness, ego, frailty, fame, and filmmaking.” —The Daily Beast. “Laughs aplenty.” —Entertainment Weekly. |
| MEET THE PLAYWRIGHTS |
| THE WRITING OF THE PLAY The Shark Is Broken is the brainchild of Ian Shaw. His charismatic father, Robert, is the Oscar-nominated actor who’s best remembered for his portrayal in Jaws of Quint, the crusty New England fisherman with an Ahab-like obsession with the killer shark. Shaw co-wrote the play with Joseph Nixon . “Regarding the writing of the play, Ian Shaw said, “In 2017, I read a drinking diary my father kept, which I found painful and very brave. So I sketched out some ideas for a play. I shoved it in a drawer, thinking it was too crazy to actually do. Many years ago, I read about the extraordinary difficulties they had making JAWS, and it occurred to me that there was an interesting story behind the scenes of one of cinema’s most legendary movies. “I mentioned it to two of my friends, David Mounfield and Duncan Henderson, who thought the idea was good enough for them to co-produce at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Then I spoke to a writer friend, Joseph Nixon, who also thought it had legs and could be something a lot of people would find entertaining. I always loved the film, it feels burned into my DNA. And who doesn’t like a peek into a private world? So we wrote it together.” Join us for The Shark Is Broken and celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the blockbuster iconic movie. Left Edge Theatre Presents The Shark is Broken at The California Theatre of Santa RosaMarch 27 – April 11, 2025 |
