By Joe Contreras, Latin Life Denver Media

On the surface ‘English‘ appears to be a play about a group of people learning English. But in this classroom, the consequences and rewards of learning English go far deeper than just learning a second language. ‘English’ the Pulitzer Prize winning play currently at the theatre at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) through May 31, 2026 is both a heartfelt comedy, yet a very serious universal human story that anyone who has tried to learn a foreign language, or comes from immigrant parents or are immigrants can identify with.

What language and culture are you most comfortable in and how do you keep from losing your identity and your culture? ‘English‘ is a character study of what it is to have to learn another language and live in another country. Does it mean that you must give up your own culture to assimilate to another? 

The setting is in Iran, although it could be a classroom anywhere on the globe. The four Persian students and their instructor meet regularly for three hour long English immersion classes. Their native language, Farsi, is forbidden. It is English Only! It is written on the whiteboard. Speaking Farsi at any time counts as a strike against you. Five strikes and you’re out.  Word games, listening exercises and show-and-tell sessions are all part of the process. A ball is tossed from one student to the other, like a hot potato. The object is to say a word in English that is part of topic. “Things you find in a kitchen?” The person who is caught holding the ball without a response is the loser.

The students feel awkward, almost embarrassed of their Iranian accents as they try to become proficient in English. They are in an advanced class and are studying for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign language) exam that will allow them to get travel, work and student visas. It is a very tough exam and each student has their own reason for being in the class.

Beyond that, the students want to be able to express themselves, their personalities, who they are as a person in another language. But how do they do that without losing their Iranian identity, culture and values? That proves to be a challenge not just for the students but for their teacher as well.

 Roya, played by Lanna Joffrey, is a soft-spoken yet frustrated grandmother who longs to connect with family in Canada. She hopes to travel there soon to visit her loved ones. But her numerous phone calls go unanswered. They go straight to voicemail. Her family in Canada has become assimilated to life there. They now have English names, speak English only and live a life far removed from Iran. It seems like they are wanting to leave their Persian roots behind and their mother/grandmother as well. While mocking the voice message Roya replies, “remember son, ‘Nathan’ is not your real name”.

Goli, (Shadee Vossoughi) loves the challenge of learning English. While the others struggle and resist having to deny their native language to learn another, In English, Goli is the optimist who finds confidence in her voice through the English language.

Elham, (Vaneh Assodourian)  Elham is the rebellious one of the group. She resents her teacher, Marjan, who enforces the strict English-only rule. Elham believes that speaking English only makes her a diminished version of herself. Despite her tough exterior, she is seen as vulnerable and frustrated by the pressure of the exam and the potential loss of her identity.

Omid, (Nima Rakhshanifar) is the only male in the class. Omid comes across as a gentle, caring, and mysterious figure with a calm demeanor. He is studying for a U.S. permanent resident card (Green Card) interview. While other students struggle with English, Omid’s proficiency is so high that he sometimes speaks better English than the instructor, creating intrigue about his backstory. He and the teacher watch American movies together on the classroom TV monitor. There seems to be romance in the air. But Omid is hiding a secret or two that may ruin the entire chemistry the group has developed.

Marjan, (Roxanna Hope Radia) is the teacher tasked with getting the students ready for the TOEFL exam. She is asked several times by her students why she chose to return to Iran after being away for several years in Manchester, England. She struggles to respond as she is haunted by her childhood experiences in Iran.

Throughout the play Director Hamid Dehghani places the humanity of the group front and center. They are human beings with dreams and feelings, hopes and fears. They are just like anyone of us. They use cell phones, wear familiar clothing and have similar behavior.

That was part of the challenge Dehghani had in bringing ‘English’ to Denver. In an interview with Applaud Magazine, talks about the challenge of bringing a 2008 setting to a modern day world. “Should I bring something that is more immediate that people can see outside, that is connected to the present moment?.”

Dehghani who grew up in Iran was himself a 30 something years old when he started learning English before coming to the US so he was able to relate to and connect with each of the play’s characters. After recently visiting Iran just prior to the current conflict Dehghani saw the aftermath of the brutal Iranian crackdown on dissenters that left thousands dead and thousands more arrested. He calls English “a political play in a very non-political way.”

“I still feel that duality, of being both Persian and living in an English culture and country” said Dehghani, adding,”this is an immigration story, whereas most immigrant stories open at the moment of arrival, English is in many ways a story of departure, of the struggle and self-doubt that comes with deciding to leave one’s home and hopefully, somehow, find a new one.”

English is a must see for anyone who has experienced or knows of the immigrant experience. It is the a very real human story of people striving to better themselves to make a difference in the world around them.

‘English’ by Sanaz Toossi and directed by Hamid Dehghani plays The Singleton Theatre through May 31, 2026.

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