Learning to Swim
- Matthew D. Foster
- Dec 8, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Dec 11, 2025
Nargiz Alizada’s solo performance is a clear eyed journey through heritage, displacement, and the ongoing work of becoming American on one’s own terms. As a modern day immigrant from the former Soviet Union, she recounts her story with an honesty that lands somewhere between confession and celebration.
The writing blends personal history, poetic reflection, and sharply observed humor. Alizada moves from long stretches of waiting for a job to frustrating encounters with American customs and expectations, all while trying to raise her children in a world that often feels contradictory. Her jokes are well placed and instantly recognizable to anyone who has navigated the immigrant experience in a country built by immigrants. What makes the piece resonate is the quiet bravery behind it. She does not present herself as a hero. She presents herself as a person trying, failing, learning, and trying again.
The production design is minimal: a projector, a table, and an open stage. That simplicity works in the show’s favor. The projections offer just enough visual context to support the narrative without pulling focus. The rest is carried by Alizada’s presence, which is commanding without being theatrical for its own sake.
The emotional arc of the piece is satisfying. Alizada gradually confronts her own assumptions about what life in the United States should be, and the audience gets to witness the moment she proves herself wrong. The applause at the end felt earned.
Performed on November 18
October 14 through November 23, 2025
Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street, NYC)
Matthew is an award-winning playwright and actor! While he loves being on the stage and writing theatrical-thought-provoking-innovational plays, his passions follow him backstage as well! As a student studying business and consulting for entertainment at the School of Professional Studies, CUNY, BBA. Matthew is honored to work on this special showcase full of talent and hardworking individuals. He's selected previous theatrical experience includes Those Who Remained at La Mama E.T.C. (Producer, Props), BMCC CUNY (stage management and performance degree), The Lake (Playwright), and Earth (playwright). He is extremely grateful for the mentors and individuals, and organizations that have given him his resources and support to keep theatre alive. @matthew.d.foster
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I found Nargiz Alizada's portrayal of the immigrant experience to be both relatable and poignant. It's a perspective that adds depth to our understanding of what it means to become American in today's world. For more on personal narratives like these, you might find Scritchy Scratchy offers a different kind of journey, through the lens of gaming.
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