A Sodomite’s Christmas in Elizabethan London

JIM J.TOMMANEY January 2, 2014 4:00AM

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Christopher Buehlman’s new play about Christopher Marlowe, A Sodomite’s Christmas in Elizabethan London, is meant to shock – just look at the title. Marlowe was a contemporary of William Shakespeare and a playwright to whom fame came early, as did death – he died at the age of 29 in a brawl with drinking companions, though some allege the death was faked. It seems clear that Marlowe — believed to have been a spy for the Queen — was a carouser who lived life to the fullest.

Buehlman, who had previously performed as Marlowe in a one-man work, says, “I’ve been fascinated by Christopher Marlowe since I first stumbled across The Tragedy of Doctor Faustus when I was 23. The events [in the Sodomite’s Christmas] take place on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 1592, the last Christmas Marlowe ever saw. Other characters include Sir Walter Raleigh, a fantastical Queen Elizabeth and a Devil that might be Sir Walter Raleigh in red paint.”

Scott McWhirter, who plays Marlowe in the show, says, “In these plays Marlowe is painted as a foulmouthed, dirty-minded, perpetually drunken genius. I have to say the combination proves almost too much fun for an actor. It’s an absolute blast to have the opportunity to play Kit once again.”

3 p.m. Saturday. Obsidian Art Space, 3522 White Oak Drive. For information, call 318-423-0281 or visit trebuchetplayers.org. $5.
Sat., Jan. 4, 3 p.m., 2014