New York, NY – The Sledgehammer Series, hosted Tripwire Harlot Press and co-created by Sarah Ruhl and Jacqueline Goldfinger, has announced the launch of its first four titles, Rarities & Wonders: Plays by Phillip Howze, Doodles from the Margins: Three Plays by Hansol Jung, Recent Alien Abductions by Jorge Ignacio Cortiñas, and Three Plays by Christina Anderson. With its goal to create an entirely artist-centered model of publication—as 13P was for theatre production— Sledgehammer places all creative decisions in the hands of its authors. 

“The limited publication of plays, especially work by BIPOC artists, leads to a butterfly effect of access issues for producers, academics, historians, and others,” says co-creator Jacqueline Goldfinger. “In addition, the formatting demands of traditional publisher’s force text into a monolithic mold which may not serve the artist’s intention. Sledgehammer supports playwrights so that they can create an experience for the reader on the page, just as they create one for the audience on the stage; making the experience of the text singularly performative for each reader.” 

To celebrate the launch ongoing series, Sledgehammer will host a book signing event at The Drama Book Shop (266 W 39th St, New York, NY 10018) on Sunday, September 25 from 2-4 pm. For updates and to pre-order books, please visit Tripwire’s website.