English

(Photo: Joan Marcus)

By Fern Siegel (Posted 1/31/25)

In 2008, the Iraq War, which involved the Iraqi government and American-led forces, witnessed brutal fighting between Shia and Sunni armed groups. And though the classroom dramady English takes place at that time, there is no mention of battle or humanitarian crises.

Rather, the focus of Sanaz Toossi’s intimate play is adult Iraqis trying to qualify for their English proficiency exam, the TOEFL. Now on Broadway at the Todd Haimes Theater, the piece is touching and often funny — “Things you find in a kitchen. Go!” — but lacking in dramatic tension.

The struggles are personal — Elham (Tala Ashe) hopes to study medicine in Australia, while Roya (a striking Pooya Mohseni) longs to join her son’s family in Canada. Goli (Ava Lalezarzadeh) is intrigued by English, and Omid (Hadi Tabbal), whose English fluency confounds his classmates, has a green-card interview.

And then there is the always-encouraging teacher (Marjan Neshat), who lived in the U.K. for nine years and is mysterious about her reasons for returning to Iraq. “I always liked myself in English,” she shares wistfully.

As smoothly directed by Knud Adams, English is a chamber piece. The playwright is fascinated by the cross-cultural thicket languages produce, as well as the humor in trying to understand another’s tongue. To be bilingual can be a gift, but for these five, it also registers a sense of displacement. As Elham notes: “No one hates this language more than I hate.” Similarly, Roya is disturbed by her son’s eagerness to dismiss his heritage.

Immigrants must master cultural idioms, while sacrificing their own singularity and pride. Often, they change names to make it easier on Westerners — suggesting understanding can only flow in one direction.

The ensemble, especially Ashe, is uniformly strong — and their anger, confusion and longing, both internal and external — poignant. The set, by Marsha Ginsberg, is inside a rotating box, as if nothing exists outside of these four walls.

The costumes by Enver Chakartash, lighting by Reza Behjat and sound by Sinan Refik Zafar produce a unified piece. For 110 minutes, we exist alongside these five, trying to appreciate and grasp their varied lives.

While the play delves into each character, it exists more in broad strokes. When we get to the finer details, Toossi is adept at revealing the triumph and pain that accompanies living in two worlds. English is more lightweight than it should be, given its Pulitzer Prize status, but remains moving. It’s also a salute to those willing to explore new terrains in challenging circumstances.