Hamlet Goes To Jail

Heard this from my pal Mike Mason: "I just learned that ACT V (the "This Americal Life" Hamlet/prison piece) is being made into a movie. Screenplay by Suzan-Lori Parks. Learned this on one of my fav podcasts, "New Letters on the Air." Throughout August they did a series on "Authors at the Movies." You can subscribe here."

Don't know if you know about "This American Life," a weekly radio show from Chicago that pulls together all kinds of stories, fiction and non-, clustered around a different theme each week. Someday I'll post a list of favourite episodes, but right at the top would be ACT V, about a prison production of the final act of HAMLET. (You can download a copy for 95 cents via the "This American Life" website. Best 95 cents you'll ever spend.)

Could make an amazing film.

Here's a photo of the cast (from the Prison Performing Arts website).

Which got me thinking, who would I cast in the film version?


playing The Director,
Patricia Clarkson










Casey Affleck










Kevin Bacon










Sean Penn










Ethan Hawke










Jackie Earle Haley










Djimon Hounsou










Michael Clarke Duncan










Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje










Billy Bob Thornton










Chris Cooper












Denzel Washington










Barry Pepper










Sam Rockwell









And a buddy of mine...


J.P. Allen








Might as well toss Mel Gibson and Kenneth Branagah into the mix, just for fun.