ENGLISH
written by Sanaz Toossi
directed by Knud Adamswith Tala Ashe, Ava Lalezazardeh, Pooya Mohseni, Marjan Neshat, Hadi Tabbal
understudied by Roxanna Hope Radja, Joe Joseph, Shadee Vossoughi
set design by Marsha Ginsberg
lighting design by Reza Behjat
sound design by Sinan Refik Zafar
costume design by Enver Chakartash
props by Andrew Diaz
stage managed by Alex Hajjar
Todd Haimes Theatre on Broadway, Roundabout, 2025
from the Off-Broadway premiere
The New York Times: Why Does Every Play Seem Political Now?
Broadway.com: Company Interview
Time Out New York: Director Interview
Vogue: Playwright Interview
Playbill.com: Playwright Interview
Lighting & Sound America: Design Feature
2023 Pulitzer Prize Winner
REVIEWS
[Critic’s Pick] “Directed with exceptional sensitivity by Knud Adams… Adams’s staging and his work with the faultless actors pull off the trick of making what English doesn’t say out loud so moving.”
Jesse Green, The New York Times
[⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑] “Director Knud Adams and his original cast of five re-create the magic of the original production without a stammer, stumble or waver.”
Adam Feldman, Time Out New York
“The exquisite Broadway production from director Knud Adams is the first must-see play of the season... Adams’s staging for Roundabout Theatre Company, beautifully scaled up from its co-production with Atlantic Theater Company, has a graceful and haunted quality.”
Naveen Kumar, The Washington Post
“Hands down a masterpiece of theater. Undeniably one of the best plays of the decade, it is both thought-provoking and deeply affecting.”
Christian Lewis, Variety
“The technique is one of Toossi’s many triumphs in craft, alongside sublime direction from Knud Adams.”
Gloria Oladipo, The Guardian
“In such a climate, there’s something extra-bracing about seeing Toossi’s play—sensitive, funny, and intimate, powered by its own craft and its excellent ensemble rather than by a shiny name on the marquee—flex its muscles uptown.”
Sara Holdren, Vulture
“Knud Adams translates his impeccable production to a Broadway venue without losing any of the original intimacy or fine-grained naturalism… Between this intensely focused and sensitive staging and his no-less powerful handling of Primary Trust, Adams must be on top of every young playwright’s vision board. Whatever dialect he’s speaking, it’s welcome on the ear.”
David Cote, Observer
“Crucial to the play’s appeal is the way the relationships between the characters, amiable but distant at first, evolve under the astutely detailed direction of Knud Adams.”
Charles Isherwood, The Wall Street Journal
“Toossi and her director Knud Adams issue a plea that couldn’t be more timely… English is a wonder.”
Greg Evans, Deadline
“Few are the standout gems—those plays that conquer an audience so wholly you feel a delicious two-way crackle in the room as a performance progresses.”
Tim Teeman, Daily Beast
(photos by Maria Baranova + Knud Adams)