Four students in Iran are taking a class to prepare for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). One of the students needs to pass in order to attend medical school in Australia. Another is learning English to speak to her grandchild. The third student is learning for the abundance of options that it provides. The last fourth’s motives are unknown. Lastly, the teacher lived in Manchester, England, for 9 years, but returned for an unknown reason.
Sanaz Toossi has written a Pulitzer Prize winning drama exploring the lives of these students and their teacher. The stakes of this test can be very high and the difficulty to learn can be very stressful.
Roxanna Hope Radja is great as the teacher, who is very strict about only speaking English in class. Nikki Massoud is solid as the future Australian student who really dislikes the English language. Sahar Bibiyan is fantastic as the grandmother who tries so hard to connect with her son and grandchild. Pej Vahdat is excellent as the student who is very secretive about his plans. Shadee Vossoughi is great as the student exploring her options.
Overall, it’s an excellent exploration of language as a form of identity.
Get tickets now for English through June 16th!
Cost of a ticket: $55 (Main Floor)
PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It –
Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother
Quinn Delaney
PlaylistHQ 