Sanaz Toossi’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play English, directed by Knud Adams, opened on January 23 at Broadway’s Todd Haimes Theatre. Set inside an Iranian classroom where students study for their TOEFL exam, the comic drama is especially meaningful to its five actors—Tala Ashe, Ava Lalezarzadeh, Pooya Mohseni, Marjan Neshat and Hadi Tabbal—all of whom make their Broadway debuts with the play, and who have personal connections to the story it’s telling.
“I was born in Iran and I grew up with two parents who learned English as a second language,” Ashe, who plays struggling student Elham, told The Broadway Show on opening night. “I sort of feel like my entire life was a primer for this play.”
“I can’t even say it’s a dream come true, because I didn’t even know it was a dream I could have,” added Mohseni, who plays hopeful Canadian immigrant Roya. “I get to have my mom here with me tonight—and I feel like my grandmother, my dad, even though they’re not with us in physical form… We’re all together on the opening night of this amazing play which tells the stories of so many women I grew up with whose stories were never told before. But, not anymore.”
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