The Shark is Broken at GSP Goes Behind the Scenes

Posted on May 8, 2025 by Karen Nowosad
A scene from The Shark is Broken at George Street Playhouse

A Review of The Shark is Broken at George Street Playhouse

In June, 1975, the movie Jaws began running in movie theaters. Directed by Steven Spielberg, it was such a powerful film that countless numbers of people became afraid to go into the water. This year, the film celebrates its 50th anniversary making it a terrific time to see the play, The Shark is Broken. Written by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon, it is presented by George Street Playhouse now through Sunday, May 18, 2025.

Peter Flynn directs The Shark is Broken as it provides a funny but somewhat frustrating look at the action behind the scenes as the movie was being filmed. Jaws began making history right from its start when Director Spielberg decided to film it on the ocean making it a first for a motion picture set. A mechanical shark which broke many times was used. The team avoided using water tanks, the more traditional approach. But with this break in tradition came many unexpected problems.

The unpredictability of working on the ocean at Martha’s Vineyard and the temperamental nature of the mechanical shark were huge issues the actors and crew faced. In fact, Spielberg went way over the original budget both monetarily and actual shooting days. The play focuses on the three main cast members as they struggle to survive all the production issues.

The Movie’s Cast and How They Tried to Work it Out

There are three actor representations from the film who are featured in the play. A very young Richard Dreyfuss (Max Wolkowitz), up and coming Roy Scheider (James Babinsky) and actor and writer Robert Shaw (Jeffrey M. Bender) work together under stressful situations. There are times when the best of each of them comes out, but then many more times that the worst comes out. The well written dialog is funny and keeps the play moving at a good pace. But it is not all funny; at times it is insightful and filled with thoughts from the three men about a number of things.

To pass the time between their moments on camera, the three play cards, drink, and talk. Each one has a reason they took their respective roles and that is part of the conversation. One of the most intriguing scenes involves Robert Shaw as he became involved with refining the monologue about the fate of the U.S.S. Indianapolis. It became known in the movie as the U.S.S. Indianapolis Speech. His attempts to take the original pages given to him and his ability to bring it into a more usable format are a highlight of the show.

The actors do a good job of conveying the difficulty of working under the difficult conditions they had to endure. Interesting to watch is how they basically have no idea of the impact Jaws will have on the movie industry. At the end, each of them talk about their next project showing that need to move on.

Outstanding Set, Lighting, and Sound

The creative team for this play did a phenomenal job creating the set. The all important boat where the action takes place is big and well designed to allow a variety of scenes to take place.

A scene from The Shark is Broken at George Street Playhouse

On Opening Night, the audience broke into an enthusiastic round of applause as the boat appeared on stage. It is an impressive prop which provides an open space in the center where the cast spends most of their time. A ladder on the back is used to show the actors as they go on and off of the boar. A backdrop of moving ocean water is used along with sounds of the sea which are effective in creating a nautical feel. Lighting and additional sounds all add to the sensation of being on the ocean. Sit back and close your eyes for moment and you might actually feel like you are at the shore. That”s how good this set is.

We never see the mechanical shark, but descriptions of how it breaks help to explain how the title of this play comes to be. Yes, the shark was broken but when it worked, the cast moves into action and finally the time to film the movie comes to a conclusion.

To See The Shark is Broken

This is a very enjoyable show to see particularly if you are a fan of the movie Jaws. Having an opportunity to see a true story play out makes for good theater and this does exactly that.

For tickets to go see The Shark is Broken, go to the George Street Playhouse website. The run of this play ends on May 18, 2025.

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NJ Rep Looks at Family Relationships in ‘Comfort’

Posted on April 28, 2025 by Karen Nowosad
Rudy Galvan and Jordan Baker – Photo Credit Andrea Phox

Comfort – At New Jersey Repertory Company, Long Branch, NJ

Relationships within families vary in scope and importance. But the influence that parents have on their children provide some of the most crucial ones. A new play running at New Jersey Repertory Company examines that issue in a show called Comfort. Written by Neil LaBute, the play focuses on the relationship between a mother and a son. In the process of examining that relationship, other issues arise including whether everyone should be a parent or not.

Evan Bergman directs Comfort highlighting critical elements of the story needed to understand disputes that have come between a mother and her son. This intriguing story line is well developed by two actors who give very fine performances. Jordan Baker plays Iris, a mother and successful book writer. Rudy Galvan plays the role of her son, Cal, a man who has some aspirations to also be a writer but isn’t moving too well with his life.

Beginnings

As you enter the comfortable lobby of the NJ Rep, looks at the walls displaying book covers hanging up with the authors’ names highlighted. Each of covers is from a book written by a female author.

Photo – K. Nowosad
Photo – K. Nowosad

You can use the gold stickers to indicate any of the books you have read. Take time to note which ones have the largest amount of stickers on them.

There is a nice significance to the lobby display of female authors because Iris in the play is a successful writer, author of many well received books, and a Pulitzer Prize winner. Her success as a writer appears to be the source of many of the problems between her and Cal.

When the play starts, the set is made up of a living room that leads into a small kitchen. A man tries to enter through a sliding door but doesn’t have a key. So he knows to go to a window to let himself in. He takes his time looking around and finally opens a wooden cabinet and removes several journal style booklets. He places them in a bag he brought with him.

Mother and Son Greet Each Other

The play allows the audience a few moments to wonder if this is a break in. However, that issue is quickly resolved with Iris enters and is startled at first to see someone in her home. But then, she realizes it is Cal, her son. Their reunion is not the warmest one might expect when a mother and son greet each other after a sizable amount of time away from each other. But it does warm up a bit as Iris makes Cal a sandwich and invites him to stay the night.

Eventually, the fragments of their broken relationship become more apparent when Iris asks Cal what he has taken from the cabinet He says that he has photo albums and is looking for one in particular.

Well written and well performed dialog allow the audience to feel the depth of the disputes between the two. For example, one of the major sources of contention for Cal is that with her success as a writer, Iris was not a very good mother. His resentment of how she had to go on the road to promote her writing and leave her family behind outs itself. This results in more ugliness as Iris confesses to her son: “I’m a writer. That’s what I was meant to be, not a mother.” Her winning a Pulitzer Prize for her writing appears to strengthen Iris’ resolve to be true to how she lived her life. She doesn’t feel that Cal respects her writing.

And yet, as she prepares to sleep on the couch, she takes Cal’s hoodie with her and cries into it. This very poignant moment brings a sense that she has misgivings about missing out on time she could have spent with her family. Here, the cultural issue of a woman giving up parts of her life to live out her career carefully opens up for inspection. Perhaps she wanted more and could not do it all.

More Issues Come Out

Cal also carries a sadness that his father loved Iris but they still divorced. He manages to talk with Iris about things his father told him that appear to weigh heavily on him. But neither mother or son seem to want to repent on their own strong feelings.

As issues surface, long time sadness appears. With the careful construction of meaningful dialog, verbal exchanges take place between Iris and Cal. The layers of hurt unfold gradually. It is heartbreaking to hear how hurt Iris was at the child custody hearing when Cal chose to live with his father. Likewise, Cal also has to reconcile that his mother was more involved with her career than him.

As they both retire for the night, Cal picks up a book that Iris had told him about which is the basis of her newest project. This book gives rise to the name of the play, Comfort, and is a part of a mystery of facts that Iris is working on. Eventually, Cal discloses the nature of the picture he was seeking and why. It is a startling moment in the play and one that appears to be pivotal in Cal’s life. For Iris, this is too much to bear quietly and verbal exchanges between the two ensue.

Comfort is an Intense Drama

Cal’s claims is that the photo he has taken validates that Iris was not the sole writer of her first book, The Iron String. Cal feels that his decreased father contributed to the writing of the book. For Iris, this is too much to bear quietly and verbal exchanges between the two ensue.

Comfort provides audiences with some intense drama as it raises questions not just about family issues but also about cultural ones. The strength of the dialog allows questions about a mother’s role in the life of her child to surface. How critical is the amount of time a mother spends with her son is also brought out. What influence does a career that mother might have influence her child’s choices along the way.

None of these are easy to answer but seeing Comfort can provide a thought-provoking forum.

To See Comfort

Enjoy the opportunity to see a two person show with solid substance, a well written script, and one that has superb acting throughout the show.

Comfort runs now through May 11, 2025 at New Jersey Repertory Company. The theater is conveniently located at 179 Broadway, Long Branch, New Jersey. Free parking is available in a lot right near the entrance to the venue.

For tickets and more information, visit NJ Rep’s website or call the NJRep Box Office at (732) 229-3166.

Runtime of this show is 2 hours, 25 minutes including one intermission.

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‘Take the Lead’ is Informative and Entertaining

Posted on April 13, 2025 by Karen Nowosad
A scene from Take the Lead playing at Millburn’s Paper Mill Playhouse. Photos by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

Take the Lead – A Review

The importance of having arts appreciation studies in schools is an issue that continually draws debate. Questions about what value students get from these studies is at the heart of the discussion. Some answers to those questions are in a new show now playing at Paper Mill Playhouse. The world premier of Take the Lead introduces a new musical based on the 2006 movie of the same name. It tells the true story of Pierre Dulaine who was a champion ballroom dancer. Dulaine is a co-founder of Dancing Classrooms, an arts education program designed to enhance essential life skills through social dance. Dancing Classrooms was brought into the New York City schools where, over the last 30 years, hundreds of thousands of student have participated.

Take the Lead is directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli. Gattelli. This fine direction brings together a number of elements that make this an informative show because it tells a true story dealing with arts education. It is also very entertaining as a strong cast transform into ballroom dancers. Both ballroom and hip hop music and dance are performed. This fusion of the two styles provides one of the biggest reasons to see Take the Lead as it makes for an interesting approach to telling the story.

Take the Lead is Based on A True Story

The book for Take the Lead musical is by Robert Cary and Jonathan Tolins. It starts in the early years of Pierre Dulaine as he and his partner, Alan Ford, open a dance school, The school specializes in ballroom dance and students win many championships. Pierre is in the midst of examining an offer to be a judge on a show similar to American Idol. However, the couple break up. This causes Pierre to lose his place at the school and he seeks a new direction for his life.

Through a series of events, Pierre goes to a fictitious school in the South Bronx named Drake High School. He meets Assistant Principal Arianna Ray who is in a state of stress. The source of the stress is that she needs to hire an Arts Appreciation teacher. Pierre eagerly accepts the offer.

Pierre’s work with the students provides the major parts of the story. Not only is the work he does with them part of the plot, but their own stories also are a part as well. For example, we meet Rock and LaRhette who have conflicts between their families. Although that theme is present in shows like Romeo and Juliet, this one ends much better. The reason it does is because of the dance instruction that Pierre brings to the class. Yes, dance instruction designed to help students relate better to each other.

So while the students learn ballroom dancing, their own expressionism comes in. Hip hop dance is also performed making for a most unique blending of styles.

Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

The students eventually compete in a beautiful ballroom dance competition. They have to earn their way there through rehearsals and fund raising. But, no fair telling the ending. Hint: you won’t be disappointed.

Music Fuses Hip Hop and Traditional Songs

The music and lyrics are by Elliah Heifetz and Zeniba Now with Orchestrations and Arrangements by Geoffrey Ko and Bill Sherman. Ko also provides Music Direction and Sherman provides Music Supervision. The fusing together of hip hop and more traditional song styles creates a unique and very interesting score. There are sixteen songs with several having reprisals.

I enjoyed all of the songs in this show but a few stood out. Arianna’s “Hold Please” was funny but totally accurate as it showed an under staffed school office.

“Don’t Get Me Started” performed by the Drake students gives a good look at who is in the class. “Let’s Begin” sung by Rock and LaRhette is the start of two people realizing they are going to work together and make the best of it. Maybe because I’m also a teacher, but “My Kids” touched something inside of me.

Lots of Fabulous Dancing

A scene from Take the Lead playing at Millburn’s Paper Mill Playhouse.
Photos by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

Choreography is by Jennifer Weber and Maria Torres with additional assistance from Director Christopher Gattelli. Similar to the music, the choreography is a fusion of ballroom and hip hop.

The dancing provides the high points of the show. The talented cast provide a high level of accomplishment with their dance skills. Especially enjoyable is the big dance competition towards the end of the show. But the impromptu moments of hip hop dance are enjoyable as well.

Well Developed Staging

A scene from Take the Lead playing at Millburn’s Paper Mill Playhouse.
Photos by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

The staging for this show is exceptionally well done.The Paper Mill Playhouse has a very large stage and every inch of it is put to good use. Paul Tate DePoo III provides scenic direction with lighting design by Justin Townsend and Nick Solyom.

Sound design by Walter Trarbach gives a lot of emphasis to a number of parts of the production, The production stage manager is Molly Meg Legal.

The opening of the show is impressive. Dance couples assemble as spotlights shine on them and sounds of recognition of the moment play. Think Dancing with the Stars but on a grander scale. The scene shown in the picture right above shows the well developed sets which allow for plenty of room for the dancers to perform.

Another interesting set is the basement classroom where Pierre works with his students. Once again, there is room left for hip hop performances to take place.

Photos by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

The transitions between scenes are quick and flawlessly done. This allows the very active pace of the show to continue on without interruption.

An Outstanding Cast

With a strong singing voice, Tam Mutu does a superb job of playing the title role of Pierre Dulaine.

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton provides a great mix of humor and singing as Assistant Principal Arianna Ray.

Vincent Jamal Hooper is a standout in the role of Rock.

Savy Jackson does an amazing performance playing La Rhette.

Matthew Risch  turns in a fine performance as Alan Ford.

A big round of applause goes out to the hard working ensemble. This is an outstanding group of performers who act, sing, and dance and give first rate performances. The ensemble includes Eric Ascione, Megan Elyse Fulmer, Gaelen Gilliland, David Jennings, Dillon Lehman, Natalia Nieves, Justin O’Brien, Kevin Trinio Perdido, Ryan Raffloer, Deon Releford-Lee, Cristian Rodriguez, Kiki Rodriguez, Jonalyn Saxer, Tatiana Seliverstova, SeQuoiia, Grace Slear, Salome Smith, Stephani Sosa, Christian Whan, and Zoë Zimmerman.

Additional Information for Take the Lead

Run Time: Approxiimately 2 hr. 15 minutes with one intermission

Location: Paper Mill Playhouse – 22 Brookside Drive, Millburn, NJ

Website: papermill.org

Performances: Now through April 27, 2025. Accessible performances include:

  • AUDIO-DESCRIBED PERFORMANCES – Sunday, April 20 at 1:30pm and Saturday, April 26 at 1:30pm. 
  • OPEN-CAPTIONED PERFORMANCES – Saturday, April 26 at 1:30pm and Sunday, April 27 at 7:00pm. 
  • An ASL-INTERPRETED PERFORMANCE – Sunday, April 27 at 7:00pm. 

Suggested Audience: Theater goers who enjoy musicals especially those which feature dancing.

Additional Information: The Paper Mill Playhouse offers good parking close to the theater. The venue for the show has comfortable seating with good views from all parts of the theater. Enjoy some refreshments before the show or during intermission in the lobby or on the second floor. Pre-show food and drinks are also available at the Carriage House Restaurant right across from the entrance to the theater.

The Paper Mill Playhouse does an outstanding job of providing accessibility, Check the website on their Access for All page for more information.

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