The Shark Is Broken

The Shark Is Broken

By Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon

Directed by David Jenkins

Mar. 11 – Apr. 5, 2026

Shimberg Playhouse, Straz Center

Lowest price/best availability: 4pm Apr. 4!

On This Page

Tickets

Run Time

This performance runs 95 minutes with no intermission.

The Mar. 28 performance will feature an ASL Interpreter.

Hands down, the very best way you can save money on Jobsite shows is with one of our season ticket packages.

Jobsite offers special ticket discounts for group ticket sales and for special members of the community (military, seniors, etc.)

Jobsite does not offer advisories about subject matter, as sensitivities vary from person to person. If you have specific questions about content, age-appropriateness or stage effects (such as strobe lights or theatrical fog) that might have a bearing on patron comfort, please contact us by email or via DM on social media.

Single ticket prices vary by theater, date, and seating area and increase based on demand. Book early to avoid paying more!

What It's About

FADE IN: The open ocean, 1974. Filming is delayed … again. The lead actors — theatre and film vet Robert Shaw and up-and-coming 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.

Step aboard the Orca and into The Shark Is Broken, a “profound dive behind the scenes of the making of Jaws” (The Daily Telegraph, ★★★★). This Olivier Award-nominated play is “hilariously brilliant and pure genius” raves the Sunday Express (★★★★★).

The Shark Is Broken celebrates movie history and peeks at the choppy waters behind Hollywood’s first blockbuster. Short tempers. Short circuits. 95 minutes.

(L-R) Chris Marshall and Cody Farkas in Jobsite's The Shark is Broken. (Photo: James Zambon Productions)
(L-R) Chris Marshall and Cody Farkas in Jobsite's The Shark is Broken. (Photo: James Zambon Productions)

So vivid you can almost smell the salt air. – Deadline

A wild ride worth taking. – Entertainment Weekly

Sensational! In between jokes and tasty movie trivia, this is a story of fathers, sons, mortality, and legacy. – Mashable

★★★★ Funny, quirky, and poignant. – The Times

This JAWS confessional makes quite a splash. – The Telegraph

Critic Reviews

a supreme trio of performers … a hell of a good time … this is Jobsite at its best” - BroadwayWorld – BroadwayWorld

boy, does this show deserve to be seen. It’s a terrifically entertaining, impeccably cast 90-minute comedy-drama starring three of Tampa Bay’s best actors devouring the scenery with the gusto of Bruce chomping down on unsuspecting swimmers.” — Creative Loafing Tampa

You really hit the mark this time, dear theater-makers! Ian Shaw's play — which, above all, serves as a wonderfully amusing tribute to his father — has found a perfect home at Jobsite. — Susanne Neilsen, Kulturspiegel

Cast & Crew

  • David Jenkins – Director
  • Chris Giuffré – Technical Director
  • Jeremy Douglass – Stage Manager

Cast

  • Cody Farkas – Richard Dreyfuss
  • Chris Marshall – Roy Scheider
  • Paul Potenza – Robert Shaw

Crew

  • Joy Cadman – Lighting Designer
  • Jeremy Douglass – Sound Designer
  • Chris Giuffré – Scenic Designer
  • Mitzi Jo Gordon – Scenic Crew
  • Eric Leas – Scenic Specialist
  • Wes Pratt – Scenic Crew
  • Will Rickard – Scenic Crew
  • Katrina Stevenson – Costume Designer

Production

  • David Jenkins – Producing Artistic Director
  • Greg Newcomb – Key Art
  • Shawn Paonessa – Online Producer
  • Jena Rashid – Producing Associate
  • Nicole Jeannine Smith – Producing Associate
  • Ava Zientek – Directing Apprentice

Patron Reviews

💯, Great Show. Well deserved standing ovation last night … thank you for your craft – Alan Koenig

We attended opening night. Beautifully done. All three actors captured their characters to perfection. We go to every play that Paul Potenza is in and he never disappoints. This is another must see. – Marc Grossman

This cast fully embodies the film actors and they have SUCH rich chemistry together. I could watch them trading stories and playing shove ha’penny all day. – Colleen Cherry-Vallin

One of the best shows ive ever seen at Jobsite, absolutely loved it! – Christian Wingate

Highly recommended! If you can get a ticket DO IT – Leah LoSchiavo Doan

[W]hat a treat. Once again the folks @jobsitetheater have chosen a show that is accessible and entertaining … as well as emotional, complex, and hard hitting. The cast embody those characters so perfectly that it’s easy to live in their world for those 90 minutes, to laugh, to feel, and to take a moment to consider whether all the broken sharks in our own lives lead to something. You know Jaws. You need to support the arts. This is is awesome. Go see it … you won’t regret it. – Wendy Neeld

Amazing show, forgot I was not watching original cast of Jaws!! – Pamela Surovich

The Shark is Broken may be the best show we have seen at Jobsite. The acting was ausgezeichnet (outstanding). The set and costumes were perfect. And the directing was right on target. It was a truly enjoyable, professional night at the theater. – Bruce Houghton

“what an amazing show, and the cast is perfection! Each voice balances the others, and the chemistry shines through! Bravo to everyone involved in this gem of a show!” – Melody Griffith

“Excellent cast; what a treat to watch three masters of the craft!” – Beth Jay

“Absolutely amazing!! This Hooper enthusiastically approves!” – John Hooper

Once again Jobsite truly delivered. The Shark is Broken was hysterical. Fantastic cast and great story. – Mark Axley

I saw it this afternoon. Wow – your team has put on an epic production of this hilarious play. Bravo! – Suzy Teele

Casting was excellent. Amazing production. We’ve been talking about it since seeing it Friday. – Donna Marie

Another excellent show from Jobsite! 🤩 I wasn’t sure how into this one I was going to be, but I loved it! The story, chemistry, dialogue, jokes, set, everything (as usual) — was thoroughly enjoyable. Looking forward to the next one in the series and next year’s series too! Thanks, y’all! 🥰 – Christine Stieglitz

Absolutely loved it!! 🦈❤️ – Ann Palumbo

An absolutely incredible job done by all … A wonderful, existential piece that was much deeper than I expected it to be and I had a great time! – @kimcandoitall

We caught (pun intended) last Sundays matinee! These 3 actors have perfectly captured the mannerisms and dialects in addition to the essence of the characters they portray. The performances are solid. And they’re all from the Tampa Bay Area. Put another way, remember listening to those awesome rock bands with just 3 members? This ensemble, that feeling. Highly recommend. Get tickets now. – Cheryl Sereny

I can’t state enough how great the actors are in crafting and embodying their characters, AND their chemistry is tangible! One of the best productions I’ve seen at Jobsite 👏 👏 👏 – Ben Jackson

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Jonathan Harrison in Jobsite's Gorey Stories. (Photo: Stage Photography of Tampa)

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