Marlowe makes Shakespeare a complete Western affair

By Alison Norris

When people think of famous playwrights William Shakespeare is sure to be one of the first names that pops into their minds but writer and assistant professor of Theater, Donald Lillie paints quite a different picture of Shakespeare and focuses on a singular playwright not as well known, with his play “Marlowe,” playing 8 p.m., March 3-6 in the Potter Hall Theater.

The department of communication studies and theater is presenting the original play with $8 general public admission tickets and $6 Missouri Western students, faculty, and staff tickets.

The play, directed by Alan Arrivée took a lot of hard work and dedication, but now finally gets to be put on the center stage. Graduate student in integrated media from Wellington, Mo., Kellen Perry plays the role of Marlowe and Rachel Peery, a junior theatre and video major from Kidder, Mo., plays the other lead role as Shakespeare.

Writer Lillie says he is ready for others to see the work that he has spent so much time on.

“Main stage, small stage, any stage, it’s pretty exciting because it’s something you have worked on by yourself when no one’s around,” Lillie said. “You hear the voices, but they’re voices you’ve placed in your head and to watch other people interpret what you’ve written from actors, directors, and designers, it makes  it pretty exciting to see it actually happen. It’s something I’ve wanted for a long time.”

“Marlowe” is a play about the Elizabethan English playwright, also called the father of English tragedy, Christopher Marlowe. The play focuses on Marlowe’s life, and his mysterious death. Though not the focus of the play some say Marlowe wrote the plays credited to William Shakespeare.

Perry, who plays the male role of Shakespeare, says at first she thought she would need to speak with a deeper voice and act masculine for her role. She recalls director Arrivée adamantly telling her not to act masculine, but just play Shakespeare. Peery has not found playing a male character too difficult, and has enjoyed acting in the play immensely.
“My favorite thing about the show is the sword fighting. It’s so fun, I feel awesome pulling out my dagger and fighting people with swords,” Peery said.

Lilllie became interested in Marlowe in 1980, while doing a play called “The grace of other people” a story about a guy who was a writer from England who gets killed in a barroom brawl. When Lillie got here ten years later he read a Kansas City Star article and it said that the ancestors of William Dever the Earl of Oxford actually wrote the Shakespeare Cannon. Lillie thought that this was complete nonsense, but a few years ago a program was done by the BBC and it was again about Shakespeare’s authorship and it explored the concept of Marlowe being the true author and then Lillie had his doubts.

“I wanted to look into it more, it stimulated this thought in my head that you can’t prove it after 450 years either way then there must be a story here,” Lillie said.“I started writing it. I went to London to do some research; I taught in theater in London last summer and I took a sabbatical in 2006 to do research and start the writing of it.”

Lillie’s work play shows several aspects of Marlowe’s life, but is mainly focused on the controversial play “Edward II,” a play that questioned the legitimacy of the crown of King Edward II who reigned from 1307 to 1327.

The play was no easy task to write or put together. Director Arrivée had a lot of work to do to make the play come alive from the script.

“It probably would not be as complicated within a smaller cast production and one with less combined media,” Arrivée said.

Perry who plays Marlowe said that it’s no easy task balancing life while being in a production.

“The biggest challenge has been balancing this and my personal life, job, classes and spending time with my wife,” Perry said.

The play is now in full swing, the set is ready, costumes on, the lights are dimmed and it’s time for a production you’re not likely to forget.