Boat Over Troubled Water: “The Shark Is Broken,” at the Black Box Theatre through June 27

Da-dum … da-dum … . DA-DUM. DA-DUM. … . KA-CHUNK! Screeeech! Sputter, sputter. And suddenly, Hollywood’s most famous fish is out of commission. Again.

It’s every actor’s worst nightmare: technical difficulties. And unfortunately, technical troubles can’t always be resolved with the trusty “Turn it off, then turn it on again” method. It turns out that during the filming of Steven Spielberg's Jaws, the shark that would eventually become one of the most iconic monsters in movie history was constantly malfunctioning, transforming a thriller about a man-eating predator into a behind-the-scenes comedy of errors.

That real-life chaos is the jumping-off point for The Shark Is Broken, written by Ian Shaw (son of Jaws star Robert Shaw) and Joseph Nixon. The play imagines the long stretches of downtime between takes, with its focus on the film’s three leads: Robert Shaw (Brad Hauskins), Richard Dreyfuss (fellow Reader reviewer Alexander Richardson), and Roy Scheider (Chase Austin). I got to see this show, directed by Jeremy Littlejohn, on its June 12 opening night at the Black Box Theatre.

Because The Shark Is Broken is an insider look at the making of Jaws, it seems both fitting and somewhat ironic that the play and movie share the same villain. With its titular predator, Jaws has famously instilled generations of moviegoers with a fear of sharks that Shark Week has been trying to undo for decades. But in The Shark Is Broken, rather than being a literal great white preying on unsuspecting swimmers, it was the mechanical shark “Bruce” that was constantly terrorizing its fellow stars – by simply refusing to function.

So even though it’s based on the making of a thriller, this show is much more grounded in characters and dialogue than in action. In fact, it relies heavily on inaction to move the plot forward, with almost all of its scenes unfolding while the cameras are off and the actors are sitting around waiting to resume production. It’s a very “hurry up and wait” kind of show. Sadly, though, the writing falls short of anything like Waiting for Godot. The dialogue, especially early on, is laden with heavy-handed Easter eggs aimed at fans of Jaws and Spielberg. It felt a little bit like the writers were trying to win their audience over with familiar references, offering well-worn details that invite recognition more than insight, leaving viewers satisfied at getting the references but with little else beneath.

Still, despite these shortcomings, The Shark Is Broken does find something more grounded and compelling in its characters, particularly in its portrayal of Robert Shaw. The script pays clear tribute to writer Ian Shaw’s father, who emerges as the play's most interesting, multi-faceted character. Hauskins was stupendous in this role. He not only looked the part, with sideburns and a slightly uneven swagger that hinted at Shaw’s habitual drinking, but also met the formidable challenge of an actor inhabiting the role of another actor. His voice took on Robert’s subtle brogue and practiced enunciation, and Hauskins adopted the overall superiority of a man who is keenly aware of his own excellence. Among the trio, Robert is the veteran performer – by far the most experienced and decorated. He also has the show's best dialogue, with one of the play's through-lines the re-working of the famous USS Indianapolis monologue that Shaw’s character Quint delivers toward the end of Jaws. Happily, we get to see Hauskins deliver that monologue, too … as Shaw … as Quint. This is a very meta show.

But thankfully, the other two actors were also a delight to watch. Richardson’s Richard Dreyfuss is all restless energy and raw insecurity, a young actor who seems uncomfortable in his own skin, openly hungry for Robert’s approval. While he certainly looked the part, Richardson’s performance felt less like an imitation of the real-life Dreyfuss and more like a character study, focusing on his need for validation and his sometimes comically obtuse behavior. Richardson's deadpan delivery of such lines as “Nothing good ever happened to any Jew on the water” made for some of the comedy’s funniest moments.

Austin is also no slouch as Roy Scheider. Thanks to costume designer Bradley Robert Jensen, all of the characters were dressed in near-exact recreations of their real-life counterparts’ outfits, but Austin benefits from one of the most instantly recognizable looks in the ensemble: a black turtleneck just like the one famously worn by Scheider’s character Martin Brody. With little more than a pair of wire-framed glasses, he convincingly completes the visual transformation into Scheider. But it’s in the performance itself that Austin really excels. In an instance of life imitating art, just as his character Brody did in the film, Scheider quickly takes on the role of mediator between arrogant Robert and neurotic Richard. Austin plays this balancing act with ease, placating both co-stars without ever fully siding with either, and keeping the fragile dynamic between them intact.

I have to also give proper accolades to Lora Adams for delivering another standout set, meticulously transforming the Black Box stage into the Orca with impressive detail, from the cramped central cabin to the weathered decks at either end. Carefully placed props, including buckets, fishing gear, and a cooler, complete the illusion, the precision extending to the ship’s name painted on the stern. It all feels lived-in and authentic, and when designer Heather Hauskins’ lighting rolls in with stormy seas, the effect fully lands. I felt like a stowaway on the actual boat.

Ultimately, much like Jaws itself, The Shark Is Broken may reach for depth it doesn’t fully attain. But also like its source material, Shaw's and Nixon's play knows how to keep you watching. It may not always strike with precision, but it circles long enough to entertain – and occasionally surprises with a real flash of something sharper beneath the surface.

The Shark Is Broken runs at the Black Box Theatre (1623 Fifth Avenue, Moline IL) through June 27, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)284-2350 and visiting TheBlackBoxTheatre.com.