New York Premiere | Red Bull Theater's Production of

How Shakespeare Saved My Life

September 15, 2026 - October 18, 2026

Venue Shiva Theater

A Co-Production with Berkeley Repertory Theatre and Folger Theatre
Written and Performed by Jacob Ming-Trent
Directed by Tony Taccone

In the Red Bull Theater production of 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 part of the poet, Ming-Trent invites us to take a deep dive into the crevices of his youth. His search for home is relentless, and the results are by turns hilarious and tragic. Calling on the Bard and a host of genius rappers, half-crazed preachers, and soulful poets to throw him a lifeline, he takes us on a propulsive ride that reaffirms the power of language. It all adds up to one man’s attempt to reclaim his life, and through that journey we connect to the deeper parts of ourselves, and, ultimately, to each other. Directed by Tony Taccone.

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Cast

Jacob Ming-Trent

JACOB MING-TRENT (Playwright and Performer). The Public: The Harder They Come (Pedro, Lortel nomination), Father Comes Home From the Wars (Lortel Award), Merry Wives (Falstaff, Drama Desk nomination), Twelfth Night (Sir Toby), Cymbeline, The Tempest. TV: "White Famous" (Showtime, series regular), "Watchmen" (HBO, series regular), "Ray Donavan" (Showtime, recurring), "Feed the Beast" (AMC, recurring). Also seen on "Only Murders in the Building," "WU-TANG: An American Saga," "New Amsterdam," "God Friended Me," "High Maintenance," and several more. Film: Superfly, Forty-year-old Version, Snakes, R#J, Possession of Hannah Grace, The Bygone, Julie Taymor's Midsummer Night's Dream, and others. Broadway: Shrek The Musical (original cast), Hands on a Hardbody (original cast). Off-Broadway: The Alchemist (Mammon, Red Bull Theater, Lortel nomination); Mother Courage (CSC); Merchant of Venice, Midsummer Night's Dream (TFANA); Widowers Houses (Epic Theater Ensemble); On the Levee (Lincoln Center).

Creative

Jacob Ming-Trent

Playwright

Tony Taccone

Director

How Shakespeare Saved My Life

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