Left to right: Demetri Goritsas as Roy Scheider, Liam Murray-Scott as Richard Dreyfuss, and Ian Shaw as Robert Shaw star in the play 'The Shark Is Broken.'Photo: NUX Photography
MARTHA'S VINEYARD, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — It's only fitting that the final run for the Jaw's play "The Shark is Broken" is playing on Martha's Vineyard.
That's the location where the 1975 film was largely shot and put on the map with its depiction of a fictional sleepy seaside village called Amity Island terrorized one summer by a massive killer shark.
The timing is especially relevant given the iconic film is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
The play is a comedic production written by British playwrights Joseph Nixon and Ian Shaw, a behind-the-scenes perspective of the making of 'Jaws' and the relationships between the film's three main characters, Robert Shaw (Ian's father), Roy Scheider, and Richard Dreyfuss.
Ian Shaw also stars in the play.
Steven Spielberg directed the film that features many island locations, including Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, South Beach, and 'Jaws Bridge' (American Legion Memorial Bridge).
Bill Hanney brought the play to the Northshore Music Theatre (NMT) in Beverly, Mass. earlier this summer.
Previously, the play ran on Broadway at the John Golden Theatre from July through November 2023.
And now, it's finishing its run at the Martha's Vineyard Performing Arts Center (MVPAC) in Oak Bluffs.
Karen Nascembeni Is NMT's Chief Operating Officer.
She said there's a lot of emotion with the play ending its run and all of the work involved in the productions, including the task of moving the set from one location to another. "It's been a journey for me," she said. "When you think about taking a boat, putting it into a truck, putting it on a ferry, and unloading it on Martha's Vineyard."
Nascembeni said there is no better place to end the play's run than on the Vineyard, especially given the timing. "It's been a wild ride, but nowhere better than Martha's Vineyard, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Jaws. The timing was amazing."
The play not only captures the atmosphere during its filming, but also the comedy, chaos, and occasional friction between the actors.
The 'Shark is Broken' is currently playing at the MVPAC in Oak Bluffs through this weekend.
WBZ NewsRadio's Drew Moholland (@DrewWBZ) reports.