Photos: Jacob Ming-Trent in HOW SHAKESPEARE SAVED MY LIFE at Berkeley Rep
Invoking artistic geniuses like Biggie, Tupac, and Basquiat, he takes audiences on a propulsive ride that reaffirms the power of language and music.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Jan. 27, 2026
You can now get a first look at the world premiere of How Shakespeare Saved My Life — an autobiographical and music-filled tour de force written and performed by Jacob Ming-Trent — performing at Berkeley Rep's Peet's Theatre now through Sunday, March 1, 2026.
In How Shakespeare Saved My Life, 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 audiences on a propulsive ride that reaffirms the power of language and music. Directed by former Berkeley Rep artistic director Tony Taccone How Shakespeare Saved My Life begins with the Bard but becomes a ritual of communal salvation.
Photo credit: Kevin Berne
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