Mother Tongue: An English Review

TheaterWorks Hartford kicks off its 40th anniversary with English, a delicately crafted story told through the lens of several poignantly scripted and cast characters, in a way that explores the depths of language in its unifying and divisive nature. English, the Tony-nominated Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Sanaz Toossi, takes audiences on a journey towards acceptance, by way of understanding, around the bend of miscommunication, barreling through language barriers, with an accented undertone of an apology for an inability to drown out nature and nurture to the end of acquiescing to someone else’s native tongue. Under the direction of Arya Shahi, English successfully places audience members in the shoes of both the native and the novice, and asks the question, “How long can you live in isolation from yourself?”