EXIT Press Announces Publication of 'Playing Hamlet Roulette: Failure, Expectation, Possibility & Democracy,' by Mark Jackson

EXIT Press announces publication of Playing Hamlet Roulette: Failure, Expectation, Possibility & Democracy, by Mark Jackson. An exploration of risk, from every angle of the artistic process.

EXIT Press and internationally-recognized theatre-maker Mark Jackson, announce the release of Playing Hamlet Roulette: Failure, Expectation, Possibility & Democracy (EXIT Press, 2017, 306 pp), Jackson's fourth book with EXIT. As one of the theatre's most enduring classics, William Shakespeare's Hamlet has been performed in every setting and time period imaginable, by a wide range of actors. But in 2016, at The Shotgun Players in Berkeley, CA, award-winning theatre practitioner and visionary, Mark Jackson, hit upon a way to make Hamlet fresh again. Seven actors-diverse in age, race, and gender-learned every role in the play, then drew the characters they would play from Yorick's skull in front of a live audience, five minutes before show time. In these pages, the production's director, actors, designers, and audience explore the wide-ranging implications of this approach both in and out of theatre. How might a critical consideration of creative experiences with failure expand our expectations of what is possible in our democratic societies? Theatre-makers, -goers, students, teachers, and anyone with an interest in the social and creative implications of risk-taking will enjoy the book for its exploration of the impact theatre can have on audiences and artists alike.

About the Author:

Mark Jackson is a director, playwright, and performer. His range of work in theatre, dance, and performance has been seen in the San Francisco Bay Area at Art Street Theatre, Aurora Theatre Company, Encore Theatre Company, EXIT Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, Potrzebie Dance Project, San Francisco International Arts Festival, The Shotgun Players, and Z Space; Nationally at The Catamounts (Denver), Hunger & Thirst (NYC) and The Studio Theatre (Washington D.C.); Internationally at Arts International Festival IV (Japan), Edinburgh Festival Fringe (UK), Bread & Roses Theatre (UK), and Deutsches Theater Berlin (Germany). His work has been developed at American Conservatory Theater, Capital Stage, Cutting Ball Theatre, EXIT Theatre, Magic Theatre, Playwrights Foundation, and Z Space. Mark has been a company member of The Shotgun Players since 2010.

About EXIT Press:

EXIT Press is the publishing arm of San Francisco's premiere indie theatre complex, the EXIT Theatre. Since 2010, EXIT Press has dedicated itself to publishing new works and new translations by Bay Area theatre artists, whose work deserves a wider audience, and a place in the historical record. Our authors have had their work produced outside of the Bay Area, used as college curriculum, and received funding, grants, and additional support based on the strength of their published work. Our first publication was Mark Jackson's Ten Plays (EXIT Press, 2010, 465 pp), and our newest, number 24, is Playing Hamlet Roulette, also by Mark Jackson, bringing us full circle. We're distributed by Small Press Distribution <http://bit.ly/2i8B1h7>, and Amazon <http://amzn.to/1oKOgvz>.