“English” is a new Broadway show, by playwright Sanaz Toossi, which is being performed at the Todd Haimes Theatre in New York City.
It was directed by Knud Adams, and it stars Marjan Neshat, Hadi Tabbal, Pooya Mohseni (“Bound“), Tala Ashe, and Ava Laleharzadeh.
Roundabout brings this play to Broadway, after its world premiere co-production with Atlantic Theater Company.
The play, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Toossi for “Drama,” unfolds in an Iranian classroom, where adult English learners practice for their TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) proficiency exam.
As they leapfrog through a linguistic playground, their wildly different dreams, frustrations, and secrets come to light.
The question is whether or not they can really overcome the linguistic limits in an effort to discover what they really want to say.
Setting
“English” is set in Karaj, Iran in 2008, and it stars Marjan (played by Marjan Neshat), who has spent nine years in England (but was taught American English there), and she is fluent in both Farsi and English.
Marjan instructs an English as a Second Language course, which is preparing her four students to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language).
Acting performances
Marjan Neshat is effervescent as the teacher, while Hadi Tabbal is charming as Omid, the student with a barely detectable accent. His affecting rapport with Marjan the teacher, allows for more resonance. They bond over watching American rom-coms during her office hours, which include Julia Roberts movies and “Moonstruck.”
Tala Ashe is sublime as Elham, the overbearing medical student with a thick accent who bulldozes through English; Elham needs to pass the TOEFL in order to be able to work in Australia.
Ava Laleharzadeh is sensational as the sweet teenager Goli, who is curious about language. In one moment, she steals the show when she plays Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs.”
Pooya Mohseni is a revelation as Roya, a middle-aged student with a thick accent. Roya, who now resides in Canada, is trying to please her son as she takes this course, especially since he wants her to speak English to his daughter.
Area of improvement
The only downside is with the set, which uses 10 tall chairs (for four students)… they could have easily used four to five chairs, or smaller ones, so that it doesn’t obstruct the audience’s view; that way, the theatergoers could see which actor is speaking each time.
Also, I would have liked to have seen this play without the rotating square stage, since I felt that was distracting at times as well.
The Verdict
Overall, “English” is a heartfelt, honest, and witty play. Most importantly, it offers a vision of compassion as a way of life, with the English language as a vehicle to address the universal foibles of language and miscommunication.
Marjan Neshat and the cast are delightful. This is a play that will certainly spark conversations among viewers. Compliments to Sanaz Toossi for writing such a resonant script. It is worth checking out, and it garners four out of five stars.
To learn more about the Broadway play “English,” check out its official website.
