Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Run Time: 55 Minutes
Best for Ages: 16 and up
Year(s) Produced: 2022
About Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
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.
Show Credits
Adapted for the stage by Idris Goodwin
Co-Adapted by Janna Segal
Directed by Khalia Davis
Starring Cherrye J. Davis
“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” Copyright © 1969 by Maya Angelou,
Copyright renewed © 1997 by Maya Angelou
Used with permission of Caged Bird Legacy, LLC
What Audiences are Saying about Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
The Emotion Was Real
Cherrye J. Davis was excellent. Her emotions were really spot on and you could really feel what the character feels. The emotion was real. The impersonation of other people was beautiful and as if it’s a whole other person talking. The lighting went with the mood. The stage setting gave the play life. I loved it!!!!!!!
— Audience MemberCherrye J. Davis is a Marvel
This was an utterly breathtaking and moving production. My husband and I were enthralled from beginning until end. Cherrye J. Davis is a marvel. Her subtle shifts in character are magical. She is the perfect actor to embody Maya Angelou”s prose. We have been recommending the show to everyone we know.
— Audience MemberBreathtaking
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is lyrical, powerful, and deeply engaging: a beautiful introduction and/or tribute to Maya Angelou’s groundbreaking work. Much of the credit for this goes to Cherrye J. Davis, who, in just one hour, embodies Angelou’s boundless energy and peoples the stage with characters both loveable and laughable.
— Erin Kahn, StageBuddyA Riveting Performance!
The actress gave a wonderful performance. She enacted the true essence of Maya. I could feel my emotions being a whirlwind through her riveting performance and story. Excellent!
— Audience MemberA True Treasure
I was shaken to the core by the genius one-woman performance of Cherry Davis recounting the childhood experiences of Maya Angelou. Through her brilliant embodiment, she gives the audience a true glimpse into the harsh realities of segregation, racism, and poverty in the South, displacement in the North, as well as individual childhood trauma and influences. She becomes the sounding board for the early aspirations of a young African American girl whose silence and fear eventually transform her into the brave voice of a poet laureate. “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” is a true treasure for anyone willing to open their heart and mind to a brave journey back in time, to honor and cherish not just the legacy of the famed civil rights activist, poet, and author, but to indeed feel the suffering, sacrifice, and share in some of the grueling experiences of all African American people of the Jim Crow-era in the American past. Thank you for this opportunity to travel back in time.
— Audience MemberThe Emotion Was Real
Cherrye J. Davis was excellent. Her emotions were really spot on and you could really feel what the character feels. The emotion was real. The impersonation of other people was beautiful and as if it’s a whole other person talking. The lighting went with the mood. The stage setting gave the play life. I loved it!!!!!!!
— Audience MemberCherrye J. Davis is a Marvel
This was an utterly breathtaking and moving production. My husband and I were enthralled from beginning until end. Cherrye J. Davis is a marvel. Her subtle shifts in character are magical. She is the perfect actor to embody Maya Angelou”s prose. We have been recommending the show to everyone we know.
— Audience MemberBreathtaking
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is lyrical, powerful, and deeply engaging: a beautiful introduction and/or tribute to Maya Angelou’s groundbreaking work. Much of the credit for this goes to Cherrye J. Davis, who, in just one hour, embodies Angelou’s boundless energy and peoples the stage with characters both loveable and laughable.
— Erin Kahn, StageBuddyA Riveting Performance!
The actress gave a wonderful performance. She enacted the true essence of Maya. I could feel my emotions being a whirlwind through her riveting performance and story. Excellent!
— Audience MemberA True Treasure
I was shaken to the core by the genius one-woman performance of Cherry Davis recounting the childhood experiences of Maya Angelou. Through her brilliant embodiment, she gives the audience a true glimpse into the harsh realities of segregation, racism, and poverty in the South, displacement in the North, as well as individual childhood trauma and influences. She becomes the sounding board for the early aspirations of a young African American girl whose silence and fear eventually transform her into the brave voice of a poet laureate. “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” is a true treasure for anyone willing to open their heart and mind to a brave journey back in time, to honor and cherish not just the legacy of the famed civil rights activist, poet, and author, but to indeed feel the suffering, sacrifice, and share in some of the grueling experiences of all African American people of the Jim Crow-era in the American past. Thank you for this opportunity to travel back in time.
— Audience Member