The 2023 Pulitzer Prize-winning play “English” is now showing at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. The play explores what it means to adapt to a new culture for the sake of a dream. It was written by second-generation Iranian American Sanaz Toossi and is directed by Hamid Dehghani. Dehghani says the story hits close to home for him - it takes place in the Iranian city of Karaj, where Dehghani lived while he was learning English. He says his own journey to America began less than a decade ago.
“I came to the US in 2018. I started learning English two or three years before that. I couldn't speak English at all. So taking that English exam, for me, was the key to leaving Iran. So it's a very, very personal story for me. This is my story,” said Dehghani.
The cast consists of an Iranian teacher and four students working hard to prepare for the Test Of English as a Foreign Language exam (TOEFL). Passing the exam is required to enroll in English-speaking universities in the US.
“Throughout this story, we'll learn how important English is and how impactful learning a new language is in terms of developing a new identity and the relationship with knowing who they are, and what this new language does to them.”
Dehghani says the female characters wear hijabs, a traditional islamic head covering, because the play is framed in 2009. He says that’s different from Iran today, when women are fighting against the mandatory hijab and showing their hair. Dehghani says the details surrounding attire, decoration, music, and even prop use make this play both authentic and affirming for Iranian-Americans, and educational for the Western audience.
“We have created a little home on a stage in America. Everything is exactly what I've experienced in Iran in terms of set design, but also in terms of point of view,” said Dehghani.
Dehghani says this story is about more than adapting to a new language and seeking better opportunities. He says it’s about the sacrifices immigrants make and the struggles they overcome. He says it’s about the transformation of identity, and most importantly the humanization of a people whose stories are too seldom told.
“Iran is like a mystery for many Americans,” said Dehghani. “Iran has always been on the news in stories about terrorism or nuclear weapons, like an enemy. That generalization leads to dehumanization of a huge group of people. That kind of news won't [reflect] them and won't tell their story – their inner lives…When we know stories, we can humanize people.”
When: Through August 18, 2024
Where: Guthrie Theater, 818 South 2nd Street, Minneapolis 55415
Cost: Tickets start at $34 Buy tickets here.
For more information: Visit guthrietheater.org
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