Rogers as Robert Shaw (Credit: David Mandel)
PURE Theatre is proud to announce the Southeast Regional Premiere of The Shark Is Broken by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon. After a critically acclaimed Broadway run in 2023, the show is set to arrive on the PURE stage just in time for the 50th anniversary of the release of Jaws. Performances will run from January 16 to February 8 at the Cannon Street Arts Center and February 28 through March 1 at USC Beaufort Center for the Arts.
The open ocean, 1974. Filming is delayed . . . again. The lead actors—theatre veteran Robert Shaw and young Hollywood hotshots Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider—are crammed into a too-small boat, entirely at the mercy of foul weather and a faulty mechanical co-star. Alcohol flows, egos collide, and tempers flare on a chaotic voyage that just might lead to cinematic magic . . . if it doesn’t sink them all.
The show is directed by PURE Artistic Director Sharon Graci, and features Core Ensemble Members Rodney Lee Rogers, R.W. Smith, and David Mandel. This is the first time this trio has been on stage together since Season 2’s American Buffalo.
“Somewhere around ten years old I saw Robert Shaw in Force Ten from Navarone and I was hooked ever since,” says Rodney Lee Rogers, who will be bringing Shaw’s character to life. He became a talisman for what an actor was. What a joy to now explore his life as an adult and experience all the adult challenges and artistic choices that made up his life and legacy.”
“My father and I saw Jaws in the theatre when it came out, and it holds a dear place in my heart,” says R.W. Smith, who will be playing the role of Roy Scheider. “We loved scary movies, and this one was not only scary but a great film. Getting to play Sheriff Brody, who looks a bit like my Dad, is a fun way to remember not only this great movie but also my Dad.”
“Peter Benchley completed his final draft of the novel for Jaws the week I was born, so being part of this production feels a bit like destiny,” says David Mandel, who is playing the role of Richard Dreyfuss. “Having the chance to spend an intense and hilarious 90 minutes each night on a realistic replica of the Orca, sharing the stage with Rodney and Smitty as 1970s Jaws reenactors, is about as much escapist fun as I can imagine for my winter 2025 dance card.”
Tickets for The Shark Is Broken range from $47 to $53. Pay What You Will Performances will be on January 16 and January 22, and Pay What You Will tickets will be available for online purchase two weeks before the show's opening. There are $12 student tickets available for every show. The Shark Is Broken is also available through the Season 22 Flex Pass. Tickets and Flex Passes are available now at puretheatre.org.
Additional information about The Shark Is Broken can be found on PURE’s website at puretheatre.org or by calling the box office at 843.723.4444 (Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm).
