By Patti Roberts 

One’s native language usually ties them to their homeland, families, ethnicity and memories. So, when someone is learning another language as an adult, or immigrating to another county, do they lose some of those identities and connections to their country of origin? 

“English,” by Iranian-American playwright Sanaz Toossi, examines the struggles and persistence required to learn a new language while still embracing one’s mother tongue. It asks the audience to consider what is lost and gained while incorporating a new language into your life. 

Now playing at Capital Stage, “English” tells the story of four Iranian students taking an English class near Tehran so they can pass the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) — each with their own goals —  while exploring the pull of one’s homeland as they work towards a better life. This Pulitzer Prize-winning play is being staged here in Sacramento while it simultaneously debuts on Broadway.   

Under the guidance of English teacher Marjan (Sofia Ahmad) — who has her own history with the language — some students embrace the challenge while others get frustrated. Elham (Fatemeh Mehraban) needs to pass the TOEFL to attend medical school in Australia. Omid (Zaya Kolia) is preparing for his green card interview. Goli (Leda Rasooli) loves to learn and Roya (Dena Martinez) wants to join her family in Canada. 

As the students enter the classroom, Marjan writes in bold letters on the whiteboard: “English Only.” This leads to a bit of confusion in the beginning of the play until you realize Toossi’s clever way of distinguishing between English and Farsi conversations: When the characters speak slowly and halted, they are struggling to speak English. When they speak fast and clearly, they are speaking Farsi.

The cast members are so smooth in ping-ponging between English and Farsi, allowing us to further understand the challenges of language while getting to know them better. Playwright Toossi skillfully leads us through the students’ ups and downs, the interactions between them and the teacher’s different temperaments toward each pupil. 

Though the play dives into the issues and backstories of the students, it’s primarily a comedy showing how complicated it is to learn languages. In 22 short scenes that showcase lessons, Ahmad is convincing as a teacher with a passion to guide her students, and her strict — almost callous — interactions with Roya. Martinez is equally credible as the frustrated and angry Roya — displaying her emotions mostly through scowls, shrugs and a turned back. Mehraban and Rasooli bring a bit of levity with their enthusiasm and competitiveness, while Koli provides a flirtatious charm. 

The students play show and tell, try to digest Ricky Martin lyrics, watch rom-coms and misinterpret English slang, with occasional hints at their personalities and pasts.

The simple set includes a whiteboard, desks and a TV — a realistic classroom that allows us to concentrate on the dialogue. There are also cultural elements such as Persian music and the wearing of headscarves.

Director Torange Yeghiazarian, an Iranian native herself, masterfully melds the cast together to realistically portray a classroom of students and their teacher getting to know each other. The cast embraces both their individual personalities and their collective struggles, with the audience rooting for each one of them, even the sometimes moody teacher Marjan.  

The play is an hour and 40 minutes, with no intermission.

“English” plays through March 2; Wed-Fri, 7 p.m., Sat, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m. 2215 J St. Capital Stage. 

This story is part of the Solving Sacramento journalism collaborative. This story was funded by the City of Sacramento’s Arts and Creative Economy Journalism Grant to Solving Sacramento. Following our journalism code of ethics, the city had no editorial influence over this story. Our partners include California Groundbreakers, Capital Public Radio, Outword, Russian America Media, Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento News & Review, Sacramento Observer and Univision 19. Sign up for our “Sac Art Pulse” newsletter here.