In this Lecture-Demonstration by Guest Artist Jacob Ming-Trent—who has received acclaim for his acting on Broadway, in classical theatre, and on film—will perform an excerpt from his powerful new solo play, How Shakespeare Saved My Life: From Shakespeare to Tupac to Shakespeare, which recently played at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in advance of a run at the Folger Theatre this spring and in New York's Public Theater in the fall.

Ming-Trent will describe his process for creating/writing the play; his personal journey over the past 30 years and how theater has evolved over that time—spotlighting his experience playing Bottom to TAPS Lecturer Rotimi Agbabiaka's Oberon/Theseus in the Folger Theatre’s queer production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

In the process, Ming-Trent will share valuable insights and lessons on how an actor prepares to navigate the professional business of acting. 

**Please Note: Prosser Studio is not (in default) ADA accessible. Should you need accommodations, please email event organizer rotimia@stanford.edu

ABOUT JACOB MING-TRENT
Jacob Ming-Trent is an actor of theatre, film and television. His television credits include, White Famous (Showtime, series regular), Watchmen (HBO, series regular) Ray Donovon (recurring), Feed the Beast (recurring), Only Murders in the Building, Wu Tang: An American Saga, New Amsterdam, God Friended Me, High Maintenance and more. He has appeared in such films as Superfly, The Forty Year-Old Version, Snakes, R+J, The Possession of Hannah Grace, The Bygone, Julie Taymore’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Shallow Talke of a Writer, starring Steve Buscemi, Friendship, starring Paul Rudd, and more. His Broadway credits include Gypsy (2024 revivial original cast), Shrek the Musical (original cast), and Hands on a Hardbody (original cast). His off-Broadway credits include The Harder They Come (Public Theater, Lortel nominee, AUDELCO nominee), Falstaff in Merry Wives (Public Theater, Drama Desk nominee), Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night (Public), Father Comes Home from the Wars (Public, Lortel Award, AUDELCO nominee winner), Mammon in The Alchemist (Red Bull theater, Lortel nominee), On the Levee (Lincoln Center Theater). He is the writer of Shake It Up: A Shakespeare Cabaret (Shakespeare & Company), Mac N Beth (PODS Productions), and How Shakespeare Saved My Life.