"So much is said by us theater artists about theater being our sanctuary, and how theater 'saved us' by giving us a place to belong. However, as Jacob Ming-Trent makes clear in his new one-man show How Shakespeare Saved My Life (directed by Tony Taccone and now playing at Berkley Rep through March 1), it's not the building but the people inside who matter."
"The 95-minute show is a semi-autobiographical version of Jacob's lifelong devotion to Shakespeare. The sometimes-rapped, sometimes-acted, sometimes-narrated story spins through an urban landscape usually thought of as worlds apart from the River Avon. Exploring themes of toxic families, emotional abuse, homelessness, drug abuse, homicide, loneliness, suicide, generational curses, despair and rage, it also resonates with laughter, joy, love and redemption. In short, Shakespeare would have loved this."
"the thoroughly theatrical light (Alan C. Edwards) and sound (Jake Rodriguez) designs. Rarely do designers get to be over-the-top theatrical in these days of realism and shrinking budgets, but the tempest that occurs three-quarters of the way through is a potent example of the magic that can happen when all the artists are allowed to work together to create their best art."
Jacob Ming-Trent's 95-minute one-man show How Shakespeare Saved My Life traces his lifelong devotion to Shakespeare through a semi-autobiographical, sometimes-rapped, sometimes-acted, sometimes-narrated performance. The production navigates urban settings and explores toxic families, emotional abuse, homelessness, drug abuse, homicide, loneliness, suicide, generational curses, despair, and rage while also finding laughter, joy, love, and redemption. The deceptively bare-bones set, striking projections, theatrical lighting, and sound combine to create potent theatrical moments, including a powerful tempest sequence. Ming-Trent breaks the fourth wall, engages the audience as a spiritual guide, and invites forgiveness and salvation with interactive theatricality.
Read at East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & Alameda
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