2023 Pulitzer Prize Winner

English

by Sanaz Toossi, directed by Azar Kazemi

March 10 - April 4

Janet Allen Stage

10

Tuesday

March 10, 2026

11

Wednesday

March 11, 2026

12

Thursday

March 12, 2026

13

Friday

March 13, 2026

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The Power Of Language

In an Iranian “English-Only” language class, four adult students and their teacher spend weeks learning a new language in hopes that fluency might unlock a different future. But what starts as word games, listening drills, and awkward show-and-tell sessions slowly turns into something much bigger. Every mispronounced syllable reveals a private fear, a family fracture, a longing to leave, or a reason to stay.

English isn’t just “a play about learning a language”—it’s a play about learning about your identity.  This funny, tender, and occasionally gutting journey shows how every mispronounced word carries a bigger risk: Will I be taken seriously? Will I belong? Will I lose something of myself if I become fluent? The stakes feel immediate and human, even if you’ve never set foot in an English Language Learner classroom.

What others are saying about Sanaz Toossi’s English:

“…a play that brings both laughter and real emotion.”–The Guardian

“…moving exploration of multilingualism.”–New York Daily News

“…the play disarms and delights with its depiction of ordinary Iranian citizens seeking with determination to expand the horizons of their lives.”–Wall Street Journal

“English is a wonder.”–Deadline 

About the Playwright

Sanaz Toossi is a Pulitzer Prize-winning Iranian-American playwright and screenwriter. Born in Orange County, CA, to Iranian immigrant parents, Toossi grew up speaking Persian at home and English in her American community. Toossi’s critically acclaimed plays include English and Wish You Were Here. Since 2020, she has won numerous awards as an emerging playwright and for English, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2023.  She has also written for television, most notably on Amazon’s series A League of Their Own.

Show Resources

Get a better understanding of English, the playwright, and Iran in 2008 by downloading our study guide!

We’re thrilled to bring this moving and thought-provoking play to the Indianapolis stage. Click below to view our digital program

Know Before You Go

  • Tickets: start at $27 (prices vary by date and seating)
  • Runtime: 1 hour and 30 minutes, with no intermission
  • Refreshments and treats available before the show
  • Arrival: The house opens 1 hour before show time
  • Recommended for 9th grade and above
  • Accessibility: Select performances include ASL interpretation and Audio Description—see dates below.
  • Content Spotlight: Contains profanity and complex themes of cultural identity and immigration struggles.

Connect Beyond the Stage!

Special Event Programming

Show Times

Tue, March 10, 2026

7:30PM

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Wed, March 11, 2026

6:30PM

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Thu, March 12, 2026

7:30PM

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Fri, March 13, 2026

7:30PM

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Sat, March 14, 2026

5:00PM

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Sun, March 15, 2026

2:00PM

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Thu, March 19, 2026

2:00PM

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Thu, March 19, 2026

7:30PM

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Sat, March 21, 2026

1:00PM

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Sat, March 21, 2026

5:00PM

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Sun, March 22, 2026

2:00PM

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American Sign Language and Audio Description Performance
ASL/AD

Tue, March 24, 2026

6:30PM

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Thu, March 26, 2026

2:00PM

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Thu, March 26, 2026

7:30PM

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Fri, March 27, 2026

7:30PM

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Sat, March 28, 2026

5:00PM

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Sun, March 29, 2026

2:00PM

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Sun, March 29, 2026

6:00PM

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Wed, April 1, 2026

7:30PM

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Fri, April 3, 2026

7:30PM

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Sat, April 4, 2026

4:00PM

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Sat, April 4, 2026

8:00PM

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Ticket Info & Discounts

The IRT offers a variety of price points and discounts to fit every theatre-goer’s budget! The Ticket Office team can assist you with the best ticketing option.
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Accessibility Matters

IRT is an inclusive theatre and offers many accessibility options, including audio enhancement, large print programs, and sensory supports.
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FAQs

FAQs will be evolving as we have more information to share! Check for everything from parking and attire to ticketing needs and accommodations.
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Cast

Natasha Behnam
Elham
Natasha Behnam
Elham
Natasha is a first-generation Iranian American actress, comedian, and writer. You can see her starring in the final season of Netflix's hit show You, and also HBO Max's original show The Girls on the Bus. Most recently, you can see her alongside Elisabeth Moss and Kerry Washington in Apple TV's Imperfect Women. She has two feature films premiering in 2026, CognAItive and Napa Boys. Her other feature credits include American Pie: Girls Rules (Netflix/Universal), Cupid for Christmas (Hulu), and Diamond in the Rough (Amazon). "I am honored to bring life to the rich and nuanced experience of being Iranian American, and I hope to continue being a part of work that touches on the inherent oneness within the human experience."
Neagheen Homaifar
Marjan
Neagheen Homaifar
Marjan
Neagheen Homaifar is an Iranian-American actor, writer, and Harvard University honors graduate whose theatre credits include English (Long Wharf Theater, TheaterWorks Hartford, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park), Selling Kabul (Signature Theatre), and Scorched (ExPats Theatre). Highlights of her film and TV credits include Me (AppleTV+), Killing It (Peacock), The Resident (Fox), and Before Dawn, Kabul Time (Hulu), a short film that premiered at Tribeca Festival and qualified for Best Live Action Short consideration at the 95th Academy Awards. Neagheen co-hosted the award-winning comedy podcast Best Friends Back, Alright! with Mythical Entertainment. @neagheen
Leyla Modirzadeh
Roya
Leyla Modirzadeh
Roya
Indiana Repertory Theatre debut. Off-Broadway: I Am Gordafarid and The Palace at 4 A.M. (New York Theatre Workshop); Secret Histories (Clarke Theatre, Lincoln Center). Off-Off-Broadway: La Mama Experimental Theatre Club, Dixon Place, HERE Arts Center. Regional: Cincinnati Playhouse, The Kennedy Center, Wisdom Bridge Theatre, SpeakEasy Stage, A Contemporary Theatre, Group Theatre, Bridge Street Theatre, Golden Thread Productions, Laughing Horse. Education: M.F.A. in Acting from the University of Washington, M.F.A. in Visual Arts from Pratt Institute. "Leyla is best known for her solo shows in her work with Ping Chong." leylamodirzadeh.com
Emelia Maryam Mosay
Goli
Emelia Maryam Mosay
Goli
is a first-generation Iranian and Armenian American actress and writer currently studying at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. She studied for six years at the FirstTake Acting School and for three years at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. Emelia's stage credits include Top Girls (Patient Griselda), Richard II (Duke of Aumerle), and Cloud 9 (Victoria) at the Stella Adler Studio. This production marks Emelia's debut at a repertory theatre. "I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to help share such a beautiful story with audiences." @emelia_maryam
Revon Yousif
Omid
Revon Yousif
Omid
Revon is a first-generation Chaldean American actor from Detroit, Michigan, and a recent graduate of the M.F.A. acting program at Columbia University in New York City. Prior to moving to New York in 2021, Revon lived in Chicago working on productions like Fox's Empire and Promethean Theatre Ensemble's Blue Stockings, where he and the cast earned a Jeff Award nomination for Best Ensemble. Revon’s most recent credits include Disclosure Day (Universal Pictures), The Better Sister (Amazon Prime Video), and Divine Blood (Lynx Point Pictures). @revonyousif

Creative Team

Azar Kazemi
Director
Azar Kazemi
Director
(she/her) Azar is first-generation Persian American and a freelance director and educator based in Chicago. She directs socially charged plays where the political and personal collide, giving voice to those the world chooses to ignore. Earlier this season she directed the Chicago premiere of Sanaz Toossi's play Wish You Were Hereto rave reviews. Azar is an equity Jeff-nominated director for her work on the world premiere of Motherhouse by Tuckie White. She holds an M.F.A. from The Theatre School at DePaul University, where she is also on faculty and received the 2021 Excellence in Teaching Award. Azar is thrilled to be making her Indiana Repertory debut. To learn more please visit: AzarKazemi.com
Riw Rakkulchon
Scenic Designer
Riw Rakkulchon
Scenic Designer
(he/they) Riw (pronounced Ree-you) is a set and costume designer, animator, and chef from Bangkok, Thailand. He has worked at Yale Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Rep, Hartford Stage, Syracuse Stage, The Old Globe, Asolo Rep, Cleveland Play House, Alley Theatre, Theatre Squared, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, KCRep, Primary Stages, The Public Theatre, Audible Theatre, and Brooklyn Academy of Music, amongst others. Broadway Associate Set Design: Pass Over, &Juliet, Parade. Member of USA 829. Board member of WithAll, a non-profit Organization on a fight to end eating disorders. @riwrdesign
Camille Deering
Costume Designer
Camille Deering
Costume Designer
Camille has designed costumes for Wad for the New Harmony Project and served as Assistant Costume Designer for The Marriage of Figaro for Santa Fe Opera. She contributed to the world premiere ballet Star on the Rise: La Bayadère, Reimagined! Camille assisted in the design for Yuletide and had her work featured at the University of Michigan. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with industry icons like Ann Roth and participated in productions at the Los Angeles Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, and New York Theatre Workshop. Her designs have been highlighted in the New York Times.
Dawn Chiang
Lighting Designer
Dawn Chiang
Lighting Designer
Dawn has designed King James, Little Shop of Horrors and Shakespeare’s Will and Sense and Sensibility at the IRT. Broadway: Zoot Suit and co-designer for Tango Pasión. Off Broadway: Manhattan Theatre Club, Roundabout Theatre; Encores! Concert Musicals, co-designer. Opera: resident lighting designer, New York City Opera. Regional: Guthrie Theater, Mark Taper Forum, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, South Coast Repertory, Syracuse Stage, Denver Center Theatre Company, Trinity Repertory Company, and many more. Awards: One Broadway World award, two Syracuse Area Live Theatre Awards, two Drama-Logue Awards, and USITT Distinguished Achievement Award. Mentor for Theater Development Fund’s “Wendy Wasserstein Project” outreach program for New York City high school students.
Willow James
Sound Designer
Willow James
Sound Designer
Willow is a Chicago-based arts leader, DJ, and multidisciplinary artist working in photography, sound design, and composition. He uses art as a platform for community healing and work that uplifts Black identity—building spaces where art and purpose meet. He serves as Civic Engagement Director at Definition Theatre, where he is also an ensemble member. Chicago: You Will Get Sick (Steppenwolf); Fat Ham (Goodman/Definition); A Raisin in the Sun (Court Theatre); Hot Wing King (Writers); Hymn (Chicago Shakespeare). Regional: American Players, TheatreSquared, Next Act, Alleyway, and others.
Joy Lanceta Coronel
Dialect Coach
Joy Lanceta Coronel
Dialect Coach
(she/her) Joy is a coach, writer, and theatre artist. New York (selected): What Became of Us, The Great Leap (Atlantic Theatre Co); Among the Dead, Once Upon a (Korean) Time (Ma-Yi Theatre). Regional (selected): Sense and Sensibility (American Players Theatre); King John, Dracula (Actors Theatre of Louisville); A Christmas Carol, Dial M for Murder, Stones In His Pockets (Theatre Squared); The Heart Sellers (The Guthrie, Milwaukee Rep, The Huntington); The Far Country (Berkeley Rep). B.F.A. from University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music. M.F.A. from Central School of Speech and Drama.
Jacob C. Shuler
Production Dramaturg
Jacob C. Shuler
Production Dramaturg
Jacob is a 2012 graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University where he achieved a B.F.A. in Playwriting. There, he authored The Death of Gaia Divine, which merited a staged production through the school's New Playwright Series. Jacob is the founder of Momentary Theatre, which curates stories that record, reveal, and react to human progress over time. 9 to 5, Jacob works at Chicago's Field Museum where he wrote and produced the Museum's first ever drag show. Most recently, Jacob dramaturged Remy Bumppo's production of Sanaz Toossi's Wish You Were Here, directed by Azar Kazemi.
Erin Robson-Smith
Stage Manager
Erin Robson-Smith
Stage Manager
Since moving to Indianapolis in 2013, Erin has had the pleasure of working with IRT and its incredible staff. Favorite productions include A Christmas Carol, The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin, Pipeline, Finding Home with IRT; The Hotel Nepenthe and Love Bird with the Phoenix Theatre; The Convent with Summit Performance Indianapolis; Sometimes a Great Notion and Frost/Nixon with Portland Center Stage; and Metamorphoses and Frozen with Artists Repertory Theatre. Erin spent the summers of 2008 and 2009 working with the JAW Festival at Portland Center Stage.  
Claire Yenson, CSA
Casting Director
Claire Yenson, CSA
Casting Director
(she/her) Claire is a New York-based casting director who works in film, TV, and theatre. She is the resident casting director at New York Theatre Workshop and Playwrights Realm. Additional theatre credits include Audibleís Minetta Lane Theatre, The Acting Company, Edinburgh Fringe, the Public Theater, Studio Theatre, and Shakespeare Theatre. IRT: The Glass Menagerie. Film/TV includes XO, Kitty (Netflix); Pachinko (Apple TV+); Fleishman Is in Trouble (FX); Sharper (A24); and Modern Love (Amazon).