‘English’: Meet the Star of Broadway’s Buzziest New Play

English is a powerful, thoughtful, occasionally humorous play, currently at Roundabout’s Todd Haines Theatre on Broadway. Don’t take my word for it. The Daily Beast’s critic Tim Teeman called it “the Broadway play everyone needs to see right now.” , “everyone needs to see.” Written by Sanaz Toossi, it won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama when it premiered at off-Broadway’s Atlantic. Now, ticket buyers are entering a bigger house, where they are immediately plunged into an Iranian classroom in 2008.

There, a woman is teaching three females and one male the universal language of the world. All the actors are first-rate, but allow me to focus on that sole male. Hadi Tabbal, 41, is a dynamic, charismatic and, it turns out, brilliant man who happens to be Lebanese. His family still resides in Beirut, while Tabbal lives in Brooklyn with his Bronx-born wife (who he met in ballet school in Lebanon), and their two-year old son, Zane. “One of the few names in Arabic that easily translates to English,” the proud dad told the Daily Beast, laughing. “You cannot mispronounce Z-A-N-E.”

As for his far-away clan, and this particularly dangerous moment, he said, “My family in Beirut is in a relatively safe area, but they are affected of course. Talking to them on the phone, I am hearing bombs in the background, while I’m here working on a Broadway show. I straddle realities. If the cease fire had not happened while I was in rehearsals, I don’t know what I would have done. All I can say is this production is helping me heal.”

Among many compelling lines in the show, Tabbal delivers one which captures how language —or even an accent—can determine our identity—and perhaps our future. “Do you ever think about who you would be if you weren’t sure where you were staying or leaving every day?” his character asks. The actor travels home every few months—so his parents can get to know their grandchild. (Ironically, another line in the show has one student bemoaning that her granddaughter has been given an American name she can’t pronounce.)

Tabbal himself speaks many languages, and is proudly of the Middle East, “I’m always navigating where I belong,” he admitted. “I do know that New York is my favorite identity. It has its faults, but remains the most inclusive and intoxicating city.” The very idea of a metropolis is a life saver for this child of Beirut. “I grew up in the suburbs because of the civil war,” he said. “We had shelters and the army stashed forty missiles in the hallway of our building. A tank was right behind it. I used to play in that tank when I was a kid.”

Tabbal received a Fulbright scholarship and attended New School, where he studied drama. Soon after, he was performing at the Public and Vineyard theatres.

“When I came to the states, I was told I would not work if I had an accent,” he said. “That all I would get is two-lines playing a guy probably named ‘Muhammed.’” Then English arose. He has traveled with the show around the country before the production finally landed where it belongs on Broadway. “We’re supposed to close March 2, but we could extend until the 16,” he said. “Reviews have been smashingly good, and it brings me so much joy. But we are all aware that if you make a false note, you can derail this play. It’s delicate, precise, and you have to really take care of what’s underneath.”

“This play challenges the power of language: How it can both enhance and challenge our identities,” Scott Ellis, Roundabout’s interim director, told the Beast. Those of all identities seem to be moved by this one, often remaining for talk-back sessions after the performance.

“Audiences have been great,” said Tabbal. “They connect to the humor in the play.” (“You are idiot,” says one student. You are AN idiot,” corrects the teacher.) Theatergoers are also leaning into the deeper levels of material. “They find their own personal points of access and points of exits,” Tabbal added. “If you’re an immigrant, that’s your access. Others connect to the theme of home. We feel that every day.”

Those who have worked with Tabbal have nothing but praise. “Hadi Tabbal’s ability to seamlessly inhabit diverse roles showcases his remarkable range and emotional depth,” said Dori Berenstein, who produced last year’s Russian Troll Farm, which Tabbal co-starred in, at the Vineyard Theater. “His effortless charm lights up the stage and captivates audiences.”

As for Tabbal’s own goals: “My hope is to originate parts,” he said. “Ones that are meaningful, playing middle easterners truthfully. To create a theatrical future as opposed to recreating the theatre past.”

Michele Willens’ “Stage Right Or Not” airs weekly on NPR’s affiliate robinhoodradio.