The Shark Is Broken brings Jaws (and Robert Shaw's son playing his dad) to Broadway

Jaws might be known as the film that virtually invented the summer blockbuster, but it was almost more of a summer disaster.

Director Steven Spielberg made a splash with the 1975 movie, but the production was plagued with issues, particularly the continual mechanical failure of the shark, dubbed "Bruce" (the name of Spielberg's lawyer). Now, those challenges are being documented in a new play, The Shark Is Broken, which opens Aug. 10 on Broadway.

The play, which has already played to great acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and on London's West End, is co-written by Joseph Nixon and Ian Shaw, the son of one of the film's stars, Robert Shaw. Ian will also portray his father in the play.

EW can exclusively debut a first look at the play, which begins preview performances Tuesday. Colin Donnell (Arrow) and Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice: The Musical) star alongside Shaw as Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss respectively.

Matthew Murphy Colin Donnell, Ian Shaw, and Alex Brightman in 'The Shark Is Broken'

Shaw comes by his writing talents naturally, and the kernel of inspiration for the play came from a monologue in the movie, which his father had rewritten. "I had always loved the film, particularly the scene where the three main characters show their scars and bond, leading into my father's delivery of the famous Indianapolis speech, and the subsequent shark attack," Shaw tells EW. "Robert was a writer and had rewritten the speech into the one that has become an iconic moment in cinema, not forgetting that he had originally been too drunk to complete it the day before, and had to beg Spielberg to try again the next day."

But Shaw didn't really decide to pursue turning the behind-the-scenes story of one of cinema's most famous movies into a play until he had a major realization in front of a mirror. "One day, when I had a moustache for a part I was playing, I looked in the mirror and Quint was staring back at me," he says, referencing his father's character in Jaws.

Oliver Rosser Ian Shaw in 'The Shark Is Broken'

"I had read about the troubled times they had on the set, and was fascinated by the three distinctive personalities at different stages in their careers.  I wasn't working and I thought I should sketch out an idea for a play, set on Quint's boat, the Orca. Then I felt that it was a crazy idea, and the dangers of attempting to portray my father, warts and all, was too risky to contemplate.  It took my friends and family to give the courage to pursue the idea, and when Joseph Nixon and I wrote it, we realized that we had a funny and touching story that was more universal than I had feared."

It's not merely Shaw who felt the risk of the endeavor, but his costars as well, who are tasked with portraying Scheider and Dreyfuss, two of the most renowned character actors of the 1970s.

"It's so odd to play someone who still exists on this plane," says Brightman, who portrays the lone surviving member of the film's core trio in Dreyfuss. "I haven't met Richard. I know he's aware of this show. If/when he attends, I'm sure I'll get a chance to ask him some clarifying questions that will inevitably enhance what I'm doing with the character. I imagine it will be quite a conversation... for both of us."

For Donnell, it's been an opportunity to explore an actor he greatly admires. "It's been a real pleasure not only watching Roy's body of work but also diving into interview footage with him and getting a sense of the kind of person he was off-set as well," he says. "He was a fascinating man with a wonderful personality and intellect in addition to being such a wonderful actor and star."

Marc J. Franklin Colin Donnell in 'The Shark Is Broken'

Donnell has yet to reach out to former Broadway colleague Lin-Manuel Miranda, who portrayed Scheider in a cameo in Fosse/Verdon, for advice. "Is it too late?! "he inquires when presented with the notion.

The three actors all grew up loving the movie. "I don't remember exactly when I first saw Jaws," says Brightman. "But I have been a horror movie fan for as long as I can remember. I was probably way too young to have seen Jaws when I did — thanks, mom and dad — but I'm sure I loved it. I have since become a much bigger fan."

Adds Donnell: "I had definitely seen it when I was younger and loved it. I've got two older brothers that, I'm sure, told me it was just a movie about a fishing trip. But I hadn't seen it in a long time until the audition came through and it was so fun to rewatch and remember just how amazing the film is and how spectacular the performances are in it by all three of these actors."

Shaw, who is now 53, visited the set when he was only six years old. "I only remember meeting Bruce the shark, which left a strong impression on me. I was frightened," he notes.  "And meeting Steven Spielberg, who is so good with kids. I seem to remember thinking he was too young to be telling my father what to do!" While writing the play, Shaw also met with screenwriter Carl Gottlieb for insight into the production process.

In The Shark Is Broken, the actors are presented with a unique and layered task, playing these three famous performers, but also engaging with the roles they took on within Jaws. "The best news about playing Richard Dreyfuss playing Matt Hooper is that I am mainly focused on the Dreyfuss of it all," explains Brightman. "We very rarely get to see any of the actual filming of Jaws. So my focus has been strictly on the man behind the character. But there are small moments where it truly feels like I'm in a version of the film Inception. A character actor within a character actor within a character. Where does it end? Hopefully not in madness."

Donnell explains further, noting that the vast majority of the play depicts the behind-the-scenes drama and not the actual filming of Jaws itself. "The unique construct of our show is that you see these three characters in their very recognizable costumes on board the Orca so you're placed immediately in the Jaws world, but what you watch is everything taking place in between shooting… I suppose with the exception of one scene, but no spoilers!" he details. "It is really about bringing the real life Roy Scheider to the stage and his relationships with his fellow costars."

For Shaw, it's something even more elemental and strange, bringing to life his father and the story behind one of his most iconic roles. "I feel like I know him better than any character I've ever played, that the genetics and views we share make it like putting on a perfectly fitting glove," he says. "But it's emotional too. I am aware of the theatrical alchemy going on, that there is something spiritual happening that is undefinable."

Marc J. Franklin Alex Brightman in 'The Shark Is Broken'

Still, Inception levels of acting or not, the entire cast describes the project as a true labor of love. Brightman, who has been Tony-nominated for his work leading School of Rock and Beetlejuice, calls the play his most difficult challenge yet. "What I am about to say may sound absurd," he quips. "The Shark is Broken is, by a square mile, the HARDEST thing I've ever done in my career. And after School of Rock and Beetlejuice, I truly didn't think that was even near a possibility. This rehearsal process has been exhausting in the most fulfilling way. Every single day I am released from rehearsal, I feel empty... not in a sad way... but like I have no more left to give. Being in a musical is extremely challenging in so many ways. But being in a play has made me feel like a raw nerve. I like the feeling. I want to do more of it."

Adds Donnell: "Being back on Broadway is amazing. I'm thrilled that it's with a play because it's something I've always wanted to do, but just being here, getting to do this again is spectacular. Everyone who is working on this is playing a huge part in making this such a special experience. I keep getting emotional at every step along the way."

Those who aren't hugely familiar with Jaws will find a riveting story of the immense difficulties of attempting to make art, but for those who are, they'll find a loving homage to the little shark movie that could. "The best kind of homage is one that stays true to the source material while also making some educated guesses and wild swings along the way," muses Brightman.

And that's exactly what The Shark Is Broken offers, at least according to Shaw. " It's a homage to all those who made Jaws such a stunning movie, and to the fans who have kept its flame alive," Shaw reflects. "It is also a poem about the three men who hunted the shark, and to anyone who struggles to create stories that have meaning."

Related content:

• Here Lies Love review: David Byrne's new Broadway musical is a history lesson and disco dance party

• Why actors can still perform on Broadway during the SAG-AFTRA strike

• Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove is getting an explosive new adaptation