STAGE-M Presents “THE SHARK IS BROKEN” by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon.

April 30-May 3, 2026
Crossroads Charter Academy Auditorium
Big Rapids, MI

The scene: 1974. The open water. Three actors – Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, and Richard Dreyfuss – are stuck together on a real boat, to fulfill the vision of a 26 year old little-known director named Steven Spielberg. No director had ever shot a motion picture on the ocean instead of in a studio tank…until now.

They don’t know it yet, but they’re filming the FIRST summer blockbuster!

Peek behind the scenes as Scheider (Ben Avery), Shaw (Chris Kesting), and Dreyfuss (Keith Bogucki) kill time, squabble, drink, play cards, bond, argue, and ponder life; all while waiting for the title mechanical shark to function long enough to finish the movie.

Fun fact: Playwright Ian Shaw is the son of JAWS actor Robert Shaw, and he drew facts and inspiration from journals his father kept during the filming.

Fresh from sell-out West End and Broadway runs, come and enjoy this new play in Big Rapids, Michigan!

PERFORMANCES:
Thursday, April 30 at 7:30pm
Friday, May 1 at 7:30pm
Saturday, May 2 at 7:30pm
Sunday May 3 at 2:30pm
Crossroads Charter Academy Auditorium, Big Rapids, MI
Tickets $15 cash at the door (Adult language and themes, for mature audiences)

“THE SHARK IS BROKEN wittily excels not just as a clever time capsule, but as an examination of male bonding and competitiveness, ego, frailty, fame, and filmmaking.” —The Daily Beast.

“Laughs aplenty.” —Entertainment Weekly.