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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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Subscribe to our 2025/26 season for the best seats at the lowest prices.

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

  • 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.

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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