English: 2026 Play Series

Winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize, this quietly powerful and timely play explores identity, language, and belonging

"What do we lose, and what do we become, when we try to speak in a language that is not our own?" – Amir N. Hosseini, Director

A deeply human play that resonates across cultures, English follows four Iranian adults in a storefront classroom in Karaj, near Tehran, as they prepare for an English proficiency exam.

As grammar drills and pronunciation exercises unfold, something deeper emerges – questions of identity, belonging, and what is gained or lost when learning a new language. Standing at the intersection of their past and future, four students consider new opportunities, reinvention, and distance from home.

With warmth, humour, and piercing insight, English explores cultural displacement, migration, and the sacrifices made in pursuit of a different future.

English, produced by Blackout Art Society, is performed in English and is developed with the help of a diverse group of all-immigrant cast and crew.

CAST

Mahbubeh Mojtahed

Navid Charkhi

Ava Nasiri

Nikta Ghazi

Baran Mehrdadian

CREATIVE AND PRODUCTION TEAM

Playwright – Sanaz Toossi

Director – Amir N. Hosseini

Stage Manager and Lighting Designer – Shila Amin

Assistant Director – Sarvin Seif

Set Designer – Luis Bellassai 

Sound Designer – Hamed Mafakheri

Costume Designer – Neda Hosseini

Set Decorator – Hassan Mirbod

Marketing Manager – Shideh Taleban

Hair Stylist – Monda Sadrnia

Content Creator – Farhad Adib

Photographer – Sayna Ghaderi