Dylan Godwin and Matthew Amendt to Star in BORN WITH TEETH at the Alley Theatre

The Tony Award-winning Alley Theatre has announced the cast and creative team of Liz Duffy Adam's world premiere Born with Teeth. The play is directed by Artistic Director Rob Melrose and runs May 6 - June 5, 2022 in the Neuhaus Theatre. Developed in the Alley All New Reading Series, Born with Teeth now makes its world premiere this season.

An aging authoritarian ruler, a violent police state, a restless polarized people seething with paranoia: it's a dangerous time for poets. Two of them-the great Kit Marlowe and the up-and-comer Will Shakespeare-meet in the back room of a pub to collaborate on a history play cycle, navigate the perils of art under a totalitarian regime, and flirt like young men with everything to lose. One of them may well be the death of the other.

"The history of art is full of fierce rivalries: Mozart and Salieri, Moliere and Racine, Goldoni and Gozzi. What makes the rivalry of Shakespeare and Marlowe so interesting, however, is there is a good chance that had Marlowe lived, he would have emerged the winner and not Shakespeare," said Alley Artistic Director Rob Melrose. "The fact that they --unlike Mozart, Salieri, Moliere, and Racine -- worked together on a series of projects that we still have to this day makes it all the more fascinating. Add to this more recent discoveries of the nature of Marlowe's murder and his deep involvement in espionage and there is a whole new world to discover: one that you get to discover first in this world-premiere production."

"In 2017 I saw Belarus Free Theater's Burning Doors, about--and by--artists risking their lives to make theatre. At the time a lot of people I knew were worried about growing authoritarianism in the US and talking about the role of art and artists in such times," shares playwright Liz Duffy Adams. "Then I heard that scholars had proven Shakespeare and Marlowe had collaborated on a history play cycle. I knew when I got Will and Kit in a room together there would be humor and sexiness and edgy fun. But we write history plays to dig into what's happening now. How do artists tell the truth and survive? Every day, around the world, it feels like a more present question."

The cast of Born with Teeth includes Alley Resident Acting Company member Dylan Godwin as Will and Matthew Amendt as Kit.

The creative team of Born with Teeth includes Scenic Designer Michael Locher, Costume Designer Alejo Vietti, Lighting Designer Carolina Ortiz Herrera, Music & Sound Designer Cliff Caruthers, Stage Manager Jocelyn A. Thompson, and Assistant Stage Manager Rachel Dooley-Harris.

PRESS NIGHT: Wednesday, May 11 at 7:30pm. Invitations will be sent at a later date.

DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION: From June 6-19, a paid digital version of Born with Teeth filmed live at the Alley, will be available for viewing. Guests who have purchased an in-person ticket and do not feel comfortable attending in-person may transfer their ticket before the start of their ticketed performance to a digital ticket. Digital tickets are $25 and can be purchased at alleytheatre.org. Limited digital tickets will be available for purchase.

SPONSORS: Born with Teeth is sponsored by the Edgerton Foundation. The Alley Theatre is supported by the 2021-22 Season sponsor United Airlines, the official airline of The Alley Theatre.

TICKETS: Tickets to Born with Teeth are now on sale and start at $28. Discounted tickets are available for military, seniors, and any student or educator, regardless of age, with a valid student ID for designated performances. Tickets can be ordered online (alleytheatre.org) or by phone (713.220.5700).

ABOUT The Alley Theatre:

The Alley Theatre, one of America's leading nonprofit theatres, is a nationally recognized performing arts company led by Artistic Director Rob Melrose and Managing Director Dean R. Gladden. The Alley is committed to developing and producing theatre that is as diverse as the Houston community. The Theatre produces up to 16 plays and nearly 500 performances each season, ranging from the best current work and re-invigorated classic plays to new plays by contemporary writers. Home to a full-time resident company of actors, the Alley engages theatre artists of every discipline-actors, directors, designers, composers, playwrights-who work on individual productions throughout each season as visiting artists.

The Alley is comprised of two state-of-the-art theatres: the 774-seat Hubbard Theatre and the 296-seat Neuhaus Theatre. The Alley reaches over 200,000 people each year through its performance, education, and community engagement programs. Its audience enrichment programs include pre-show and post-performance talks, events, and workshops for audience members of all ages.

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