Read the full article by Patti Roberts at Sacramento News & Review
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.