Review: HOW SHAKESPEARE SAVED MY LIFE at Folger Theatre

To quote the great bard himself, writer and actor Jacob Ming-Trent: “Congregation, that was a lot.” Facilitated by Folger Theatre and Red Bull Theater, Ming-Trent’s one-act, one-man show How Shakespeare Saved My Life was a lot of energy, a lot of testimony, and a lot of reckoning. 

Ming-Trent’s story knocks every college admissions essay about “overcoming” out of the water: it’s about finding a light at the end of the darkest tunnel. It contained reality soaked in the surreal that at times dipped into the impossible, all carried by his varied, powerful voice. 

The narrative was a tripping frenzy of testimony.  You think he’s hit the bottom and he keeps on sinking, until he rises in a final flourish of becoming. Through rejections in family, society, and career, and ultimate self-love and acceptance, it explores how words make an impact in positive and negative, in first loves and last breaths. 

The lightning and smart, yet sparing, staging allowed the images of Ming-Trent’s narration to build the scene, from a dark, desolate park bench to a hauntingly holy church. 

Because the set was so minimal, the costuming needed more refinement to elevate the aesthetics. Light-colored, wrinkle-prone linen and a too-small shirt made for some unfortunate bunching and pulling that was distracting to both performer and audience. 

The stakes of a one-man performance are high, yet Ming-Trent raised them even higher with his impeccable delivery. He was lost in the other characters he portrayed—from his cold and critical mother to his warm yet struggling father—holding all of these voices in his chest and his mind. 

Audience participation is one of the hardest inclusions of a show, but Ming-Trent employed a tasteful amount with call-and-repeats. The audience also felt very empowered to audibly react. 

Jacob Ming-Trent’s How Shakespeare Saved My Life at Golger Theatre is a moving testimony to the power of personal heroes and finding your light. 

Duration: 85 minutes, no intermission

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