On a rainy day in Stamps, Arkansas, Maya Angelou has returned to the now-abandoned general store where she grew up and came of age. While inside, the room conjures memories, and she reminisces out loud the events and lessons learned on her tumultuous, painful, beautiful, and extraordinary journey into womanhood.
Adapted by award-winning playwright Idris Goodwin and directed by Khalia Davis, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings weaves unaltered prose directly from Angelou's groundbreaking and controversial book and introduces a new generation to this American literary icon.
Please note that the performances on June 3rd at 7pm and June 4th at 2pm are Sensory Friendly Performances. These performances are designed to create a welcoming environment for all families with children on the autism spectrum and related conditions. Examples of changes include the house lights staying on at a low level, lowering of the sound levels, and audience members may verbalize throughout the performance. For more information, email
[email protected].
New York City Children’s Theater is proud to present Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Birds Sings. As a theater, we believe that Ms. Angelou’s story belongs onstage, a story of resilience and one woman’s journey to find her voice.
To truthfully present Ms. Angelou’s work to the fullest, we have chosen to address material and thematic elements we have not in the past. To best serve our community, we have partnered with mental health professionals to determine the following content warning:
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings contains material that may be harmful or triggering to some audiences. The performance contains verbalized child sexual violence, verbalized sexual violence, racism and racist slurs, and violent imagery, which may be activating to some viewers and is inappropriate for young children. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.
If you’d like to speak to a member of the NYCCT team to find out more about the specifics of these scenes before you purchase tickets,
click here or email
[email protected].
All guests will be required to wear masks and show proof of vaccination at I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
Please review Theatre Row's COVID-19 Information page to see what protocols will be in place at the theater this season. Have questions about purchasing tickets? Email us at
[email protected].
Playing at Theatre Row
410 West 42nd Street
New York, NY 10036
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