Pulitzer Prize-winning Play: English

The Story

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, and presented by Kay Meek Arts Centre, is performed in English and is developed with the help of a diverse group of all-immigrant cast and crew. This show is returning by popular demand after a week-long sold out run at Fire Hall Arts Centre last January. 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