THE CAGED BIRD SINGS: THE PRISONS WE BUILD

Modern Times Stage Company announced the world premiere of The Caged Bird Sings, presented by the Aga Khan Museum in association with Theatre ARTaudin the Museum’s Courtyard.

A re-imagining and radical adaptation of Rumi’s Masnavi, The Caged Bird Sings reveals a cage within a cage as this surreal piece unfolds.

The Modern Times Stage Company production, performed in the round, features three prisoners – two star-crossed lovers and scientists Rumi and Jin – who share a cell with Sal, a mysterious vagrant. As they navigate their newfound reality and reconcile their past lives, they are haunted by ghosts and demons of their own making. The piece explores Sufi mysticism, ideas of Fanafillah, the prisons – literal and metaphorical – that we are put in, that we put ourselves in, and that we create ourselves, and how and whether it’s possible to escape such prisons.

Performed in the Museum’s Courtyard, this re-imagining, created by immigrant writers with roots in Pakistan, contemporizes Rumi in a way you have never seen before – staying true to his work and the spirit of his Sufi-mystical writings and art. Rumi’s work is confounding, demanding, witty, sharp, and unapologetic. This surreal re-imagining captivates readers, prompting them to question. It resonates with Toronto's diverse audience while remaining faithful to the author's acclaimed, now classic works.

Directed by Rafeh Mahmud, it stars Navtej Sandhu, Mikaela Lily Davies, and Rouvan Silogix. The original piece is written by Rouvan Silogix, Rafeh Mahmud, and Ahad Lakhani.

When and where: June 10-26 at the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto. More info and tickets here.