How Shakespeare Saved My Life
by Jacob Ming-Trent
Directed by Tony Taccone
Co-commissioned by Folger Theatre and Red Bull Theater
Co-produced by Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Folger Theatre, and Red Bull Theater
Booking and details
Dates & TicketsSave money as part of a package create a subscription
Dates Tue, Jun 9 – Sun, Jul 5, 2026
Venue Folger Theatre
Tickets $20 – $90
Please note: Children under the age of 4 are not permitted.
How Shakespeare Saved My Life is an autobiographical-inspired theatrical work by playwright and Broadway performer Jacob Ming-Trent (Folger Theatre’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and directed by Tony Taccone (The Harder They Come).
In this tour-de-force performance, 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’s search for home is relentless, and the results are by turns hilarious and tragic.
Invoking a host of artistic geniuses such as Biggie, Tupac, Shakespeare, and Basquiat, Ming-Trent takes us on a propulsive ride that reaffirms the power of language and music. It all adds up to how one man’s attempt to reclaim his life may connect to the deeper parts of ourselves and to each other.
How Shakespeare Saved My Life is an epiphany that begins with Shakespeare but becomes a ritual of salvation and forgiveness that invites the audience to save themselves and each other.
Creative team
Jacob Ming-Trent
Jacob Ming-Trent: Folger Theatre: How Shakespeare Saved My Life (The Reading Room Festival 2024), A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Broadway: Gypsy revival, original cast; Shrek the Musical, original cast; Hands on a Hardbody, original cast. Off-Broadway: The Public Theater: The Harder They Come (Lucille Lortel Award nomination, AUDELCO nomination), Twelfth Night, Father Comes Home from the Wars (Lortel Award, AUDELCO nomination), Cymbeline, The Tempest; Shakespeare in the Park: Merry Wives (Drama Desk nomination); Classic Stage Company: Mother Courage; Red Bull Theater: Medea Re-Versed, The Alchemist, Mammon (Lortel nomination); Theatre for a New Audience: The Merchant of Venice, A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Epic Theater Ensemble: Widowers’ Houses; Lincoln Center Theater: On the Levee. Television: Showtime: White Famous (series regular), Ray Donovan (recurring); HBO: Watchmen (series regular); AMC: Feed the Beast (recurring); Only Murders in the Building; WU-TANG: An American Saga; New Amsterdam; God Friended Me; High Maintenance, and more. Film: Superfly, Forty-Year-Old Version, Snakes, R+J, Possession of Hannah Grace, The Bygone, Julie Taymour’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Psycho Therapy: The Shallow Tale of a Writer…, Friendship.
- Member of Actors’ Equity Association
Tony Taccone
Henry V, Tupac, and the Power of Verse
Playwright and Broadway star Jacob Ming-Trent discusses How Shakespeare Saved My Life, part of the Folger Theatre 2025-2026 season.
Accessibility
The Folger wants every visitor to enjoy exploring our building, our programs, and our collection. We strive to provide access to all audiences. Please contact us at VisitorServices@folger.edu or (202) 544-7077 with questions or requests. More information
Masked performances
- Sunday, Jun 21, 2026 at 7:30pm
While Folger Theatre no longer requires masks at most performances, we recognize that some patrons may prefer to attend in a fully masked environment. At the request of audience members, Folger Theatre has designated several performances during the 2025-2026 season as mask-required for all audience members, staff, and volunteers. If you need a mask, we are happy to provide one to you.
Relaxed performances
- Sunday, Jun 28, 2026 at 7:30pm
- Wednesday, Jul 1, 2026 at 2pm
Relaxed performances are designed to create a welcoming and comfortable environment for audiences that may receive and react to information in different ways. The content of the production is the same, but some elements of the environment are altered. Download our social narrative
Audio-described performance
- Saturday, Jun 27, 2026 at 2pm
Audio description (AD) is a narration service that attempts to describe the visual aspects of theatre and make the visual an auditory experience, with the goal of helping low vision and Blind audience members share in the experience of live theatre more fully.
Open-captioned performances
- Sunday, Jun 28, 2026 at 2pm
- Sunday, Jun 28, 2026 at 7:30pm
Open-captioning makes live theater performances accessible by using a non-intrusive caption board at the front of the stage which scrolls the entire text of the production in real time.
For information about the best seat locations from which to see the caption board, contact us at VisitorServices@folger.edu or (202) 544–7077.
Special performances
Pay what you will
Tuesday, Jun 9, 2026 at 7:30pm
The concept is simple: you tell us what you will pay for your ticket! Sales begin two (2) hours before curtain at the door and are available on a first come, first served basis — limit one (1) ticket per person.
Post-show discussion
Thursday, Jun 25, 2026 at 7:30pm
Join us after the performance for a free conversation with the cast, moderated by the production dramaturg.