Immigrants moving to the west are forced to shed a layer of themselves for the sake of belonging. Traditional names are reconstructed and collapsed into digestible English versions. Accents from faraway countries are either buried for protection or wither away over time. English, as a language, becomes a mandatory mother tongue.
English, Sanaz Toossi’s stunning Broadway debut, is a precise study of language’s significance. The 2023 Pulitzer prize winner slyly presents as a comedy about studying a foreign language, but eventually blooms into an evocation of grief and assimilation.
