As part of the run of I & You: The Musical, Olney Theatre welcomes regional Poetry Out Loud participants to share live poetry performances that deepen the themes of the play. Featuring recitations by current and former Poetry Out Loud students, this special event celebrates the power of spoken word, young voices, and the enduring relevance of poetry in shaping identity, democracy, and self-expression.
With a special spotlight on poems by Walt Whitman, whose work—rooted in democracy, individuality, and the radical idea of a shared American voice—echoes the questions at the heart of I & You: who we are, how we belong, and what it means to speak for ourselves and one another. These performances invite audiences to experience poetry as a living, communal art form—spoken aloud, shared in the moment, and connected across generations.
About Poetry Out Loud
Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. A partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, and state arts agencies, Poetry Out Loud helps students build confidence, public speaking skills, and a lifelong appreciation for literature.
Each year, hundreds of thousands of students across the country participate by performing poems from a curated anthology, culminating in school, state, and national recitation competitions that celebrate the art of spoken poetry.
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