As we learned in our previous co-reading of two plays each by Marlowe and Shakespeare, not only is it felt that Marlowe influenced Shakespeare, but it is now generally accepted that they collaborated on the three Henry VI plays. And indeed, Marlowe is listed as co-author in a recent edition of the New Oxford Shakespeare.

Modern playwright, Liz Duffy Adams, wrote Born with Teeth, an imaginative telling of how that collaboration between these literary giants might have gone down. Ms. Adams has generously given us permission to read this play, and if our schedules permit, when we finish the play, she will Zoom with us to discuss it. It seemed such a perfect wrap-up to the Marlow-Shakespeare interactions. Two young men in their mid-twenties, Marlow, perhaps more well known than Shakespeare at the time. No ego involved at all… So how did that play out?

We will read the play orally in round robin fashion, using the text provided by Ms. Adams, screenshare mode. The play is not extremely long, so, as time allows, we will round out the term looking at some poetry by the two authors.