ENGLISH Review

By Katrina “Kat” Reynold

ENGLISH presented by Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park through March 30th. I attended the Opening Night performance. 

Neagheen Homaifar as Marjan, Leyla Modirzadeh as Roya, Fady Demian as Omid, Aryana Asefirad as Goli & Sanam Laila Hashemi as Elham. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

This March, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park is bringing audiences another Pulitzer Prize for Drama winner (2023): English by Sanaz Toossi. Staged in the Rosenthal Shelterhouse Theatre, English is set in a classroom in 2008 Iran where four adult students gather to prepare for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). What happens is an evocative glimpse into the unifying human desire to feel like they belong.

Director Kimberly Senior tries hard to keep the pace going on a script which has frequent “scene changes”; while they are more indications of passages of time, they do tend to break up the momentum quite a bit. I feel it would be better not to go “lights down” on each and every transition in the interest of keeping the audience’s attention. Set Designer Afsaneh Aayani offers a comprehensive classroom setting with a lot of options for natural movement and Ms. Senior’s blocking works well with it.

One of the major stars of the production would have to be Dialect Coach Sade Namei. With a show about students who are learning English as a foreign language, I was curious as to how the characters’ speaking in their native tongue would be handled. Without spoiling too much, dialects are key in how this plays out on stage. Ms. Namei’s work with the performing artists is to be commended and is a shining fifth character.

I have often sung the praises of Casting Director Stephanie Klapper and they are well-deserved sentiments. The chemistry between this group of five performing artists is cohesive and palpable. It is nearly impossible to cite any individual’s talents without mentioning each of them. Neagheen Homaifar as Marjan (the teacher) excels at dancing the fine line between conveying her genuine interest in imparting knowledge with her character’s own struggles as an Iranian. Aryana Asefirad breathes life into Goli: a sweet, genuine young woman who is clearly in love with the English language and sees it as a way to gain confidence in her proverbial voice. Fady Demian (Omid) glides effortlessly through the motions – both in physicality and sensibility – and you wonder what turmoil must inevitably lie beneath. Sanam Laila Hashemi (Elham) gives a masterclass in believability. Ms. Hashemi’s portrayal breeds empathy on a rich level and her quick navigation of both “languages” is enviable. Leyla Modirzadeh (Roya) is not only beautiful as far as aesthetics, but in her execution of a mother and grandmother who longs to be an important person in the lives of her progeny. (Semi-spoiler: I was not a fan of the way Roya’s story ended as it seemed dismissive.)

While many of us who will witness this exceptional production have an inherent privilege which bars us from empathizing with every aspect of the characters’ struggles, there are more than enough common bonds to which we can utterly relate. English is an ideal combination of the specific and more common struggles human beings share in this life. It addresses themes of being made to feel insignificant (or outright stupid) if we do not do things like “everyone else” along with complicated family dynamics and goals for the future. Whether you speak Farsi, English, or any other tongue, this is a well-written and well-told piece of art which will leave you feeling hopeful as you exit the theatre.

Special Note: The program contains an insert encouraging support of Persian-Owned Businesses. Please visit https://cincypacs.org/ to see how you can patronize such establishments.  

Click here for more information about the production.