ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — The lights are up on the Showtimers’ stage, as it sets to open its next production, “The Shark is Broken.” It’s a play about all the behind-the-scenes drama of the 70’s classic movie “Jaws.”
The production of the 1975 thriller had constant issues with “Bruce,” the large mechanical shark prop. The three actors on stage portray Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider, and Richard Dreyfuss as they navigate what was meant to be a 55-day shoot, which took over 100 days. The play was co-written by Robert’s son, Ian.
“This show has that kind of wonderful fingerprint of an actual person who had real ties to someone on the shoot. So Ian Shaw got to hear stories from his dad while he was still alive about production,” said Corey Stewart, the director. “There’s going to be a lot of opportunities for people to sit in the audience and hear a little bit of the show and go, ‘Oh, I heard that story. I was wondering if that was true or not.’”
Josh Turner coming to Berglund Center in June
After 51 years, “Jaws” has been a cultural phenomenon, and with so much source material, the director was able to really immerse himself to ensure set, costume, and prop accuracy…