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How Shakespeare Saved My Life

Fri 23 Jan - Sun 1 Mar
Fri Jan 23
-
Sun Mar 1

Tickets now on sale

Written and performed by Jacob Ming-Trent
Directed by Tony Taccone
A co-production with Folger Theatre and Red Bull Theater
World premiere
Peet’s Theatre

“America tried to take my life, and somehow a five-hundred-year-old white dude saved it.”

In an autobiographical and music-filled tour-de-force, award-winning performer Jacob Ming-Trent dares to rescue himself from the “slings and arrows” of his past. Born with a gift for poetry but rejected as unfit to play the poet, his search for home yields results both hilarious and tragic. Invoking artistic geniuses like Biggie, Tupac, and Basquiat, he takes us on a propulsive ride that reaffirms the power of language and music. Directed by Tony Taccone, How Shakespeare Saved My Life begins with the Bard but becomes a ritual of communal salvation.

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Production information

  • Runtime: 95 minutes, no intermission
  • Age recommendation: Suitable for ages 12 and up
  • Stage effects advisory: Use of theatrical haze, strobe, and loud sound effects including gunshots
  • Content advisory: Contains strong language, references to drug use, suicidal ideation, gun violence, police violence, and discussions of racism and mental health

 

Important dates

  • Masks required: Jan 25, Feb 1 (matinee and evening), Feb 3, and Feb 8 (matinee)
  • Closed captioning: evenings Jan 29 and 30, Feb 1, 3, and 4; and every matinee through Feb 26
  • Audio description: Feb 28 matinee
  • Postshow discussions: Feb 6, Feb 12, and Feb 17 — guided by members of Berkeley Rep’s artistic team
  • Docent-led postshow discussions: after all matinees

 

Events and extras

  • Hip Hop Saved My Life: Celebrate the power of music and language on Feb 6 at Hip Hop Saved My Life: An Evening with Hip Hop for Change, writer and performer of How Shakespeare Saved My Life Jacob Ming-Trent and Hip Hop Historian Davey D hosted by Berkeley Rep. An evening celebrating the power of hip hop as survival, resistance, and art. The evening expands upon the themes of How Shakespeare Saved My Life, a powerful exploration of language, survival, and self-discovery through hip hop and classical text. This event is free and open to the public with RSVP.
  • Theatre Explorers: While you enjoy the Feb 14 matinee, your K–5 student can dive into an exciting, age-appropriate workshop just next door at our School of Theatre! Professional teaching artists lead theatre games and hands-on art projects designed to spark imagination. Registration is $35 per child; advance reservation required.

Who’s who

Cast

Jacob Ming-Trent* | Jacob

 

Creative team

Jacob Ming-Trent | Playwright
Tony Taccone | Director
Tiffany Rachelle Stewart | Choreographer
Takeshi Kata | Scenic Design
Danielle Preston | Costume Design
Alan C. Edwards | Lighting Design
Jake Rodriguez | Sound Design and Original Music
Alexander V. Nichols | Projections Design
Sofie Miller* | Stage Manager
Paige Weissenburger | Assistant Stage Manager

* Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.

Season presenting sponsor

Peet’s Coffee

Season sponsor

I Fly OAK

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Accessibility

Berkeley Rep is wheelchair accessible and offers assistive listening devices (ALDs), closed captioning, and audio description for the hearing-impaired.

Health and safety

In the 2025/26 season, masks are encouraged for all performances, but are required in our theatres on select Sunday and Tuesday performances.

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