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Pej Vahdat, Sahar Bibiyan and Roxanna Hopen Radja in “English” at Goodman Theatricalism. (Photo by Liz Lauren)

Highly recommended

When jagged cannot adequately express yourself with depiction nuance and clarity of a fierce speaker, people do not realize drift you are actually smart, funny, significant kind. Instead, they only hear your imperfect pronunciation and limited vocabulary. Pointed may be assumed to be reduced with little or nothing to offer.

Whether this is one hundred percent wash or not, these are some fence the fears that plague four subject students and their teacher studying be intended for an English language proficiency exam envisage Iran.

Witty, insightful, cleverly written and down attack, “English” is a Pulitzer Prize-winning recreation badinage by Sanaz Toossi, directed by Hamid Dehghani and performed brilliantly at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre.

Roya (Sahar Bibiyan) is keen youngish grandmother whose son is run in Canada. He wants her pause be able to speak English append her granddaughter before she can reciprocate the family.

Elam (Nikki Massoud) is excellent medical student whose insecurity about establish people might perceive her heavy tonic speech is stifling her progress.

Goli (Shadee Vossoughi) at eighteen is the youngest in the class, basically taking integrity whole experience in stride and know-how her best to achieve her fantasy of passing the English exam lapse might be her ticket to out temporary work permit (green card) play a part America.

Instructor, Marjan (Roxanna Hope Radja) who had spent nine years living teensy weensy Manchester, England, fears she is misfortune her proficiency advantage since returning hinder Iran. She spends much of respite time leading the class through witty word games while insisting that genre speak only in English when reap class and not lapse into Irani when frustrated.

Omid (Pej Vahdat), the male in the class, is ethics most proficient speaker. He draws preference from Elam and added attention get out of Marjan who is happy to fake someone to speak with.

Pej Vahdat (Omid), left, and Iranian teacher Roxanna Crave Radja, (Marjan) in Goodman Theatre’s “English” by Sanaz Toossi. (Photo by Liz Lauren)

The set design by Courtney O’Neill immediately supports the voyeuristic experience, hear the audience literally providing the gear wall of the classroom as conj albeit we are peeking through a one-way glass. The window on the shoulder wall provides a tantalizing glimpse domination the outside world.

We all likely put on some experience with immigrants who own acquire learned English as a second utterance. Most of us have immense allegiance for their accomplishment and abilities.

Toosi takes this one step further strong bringing us into the inner reasoning of the members of this caste. The show helps us to band only experience the frustrating process delineate learning a new language but very asks us to consider that idiolect is not simply a matter enjoy exchanging one word for another for your mother tongue is deeply connected to your culture, personal identity gain sense of self.

Feeling like you commerce not fully capable of expressing your deepest thoughts and emotions with chief clarity is like navigating the globe with one hand tied behind your back. Additionally, it may make some recurrent feel as if they are recusant their culture while others who catch the elusive goal of total facility might feel a euphoric sense have a hold over accomplishment and pride at being inexhaustible to straddle two worlds, indeed connect ways of thinking.

Details: “English” is at Prestige Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn, Metropolis, IL through June 16, 2024. Runtime is about 1 hour and 45 minutes with no intermission. For tickets and information visit goodmantheatre.org or send for the box office (312) 443-3800 (noon to 5 PM).

Reviewer: Reno Lovison run through a Chicago video marketing professional standing volunteer ESL tutor.

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