KERRY WASHINGTON, PILAR SAVONE & THEIR SIMPSON STREET PRODUCTION BANNER JOIN THE PRODUCING TEAM OF DUKE & ROYA

RAD NEWS DESK
Jun 10
3 min read

STARRING

JAY ELLIS, STEPHANIE NUR,

NOMA DUMEZWENI, DARIUSH KASHANI

WRITTEN BY CHARLES RANDOLPH-WRIGHT

DIRECTED BY WARREN ADAMS

PREVIEWS BEGIN ON JUNE 10, 2025

WITH AN OFFICIAL OPENING OF JUNE 24, 2025

AT THE LUCILLE LORTEL THEATRE

11 WEEKS ONLY!

(New York, NY – June 9, 2025) – Today, it was announced that Emmy® Award winning producer, actor and filmmaker Kerry Washington, Pilar Savone and their Simpson Street production banner will join the producing team of Duke & Roya, adding to the production’s producing team of Get Lifted Film Co.’s Emmy® and Tony® winner Mike Jackson, Emmy® Award winner Ty Stiklorius, and EGOT winner John Legend, Naturi Naughton-Lewis & Take Two Entertainment, Laura Ivey, Janet Brenner and Smada Media.

Additionally, the producers are proud to announce the understudies for Duke & Royacompleting the full cast. They are Ariana Afradi (Pieces), Shirine Babb (A Beautiful Noise), René David Ifrah (“Homeland”), and Jequrey Slaton (“Power Book II: Ghost”).

Performances will begin tomorrow, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street) for 11 weeks only, with an official opening on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. Tickets are available at www.dukeandroya.com or in person at the Lortel Theatre box office.

Duke & Roya features Jay Ellis (Top Gun: Maverick, “Insecure”), Stephanie Nur (“Lioness,” “1883”), Olivier Award winner and Tony® Award nominee Noma Dumezweni (“Only Murders in The Building,” Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) and Dariush Kashani (Oslo, The Band’s Visit).

Duke & Roya is written by acclaimed playwright Charles Randolph-Wright (Blue) and is directed by Warren Adams (SuperHero).

“We are beyond excited to be joining the producing team of Duke & Roya and to support bringing new work to the stage,” said Kerry Washington and Pilar Savone in a joint statement under their Simpson Street banner. “The piece is emotionally rich, timely, and manages to be romantic and funny in all the right places. It is bold, intimate, sharp, and says something urgent about what it means to live with fear but not in it. That spirit is what drew us to the project. With a top-notch cast led by Jay Ellis and Stephanie Nur and an exceptional creative team, we look forward to welcoming audiences to the Lortel Theatre this summer.”

A bold new play about romance, identity, and culture, Duke & Roya tells the resilient love story of when Duke, an American hip-hop superstar, meets a fearless Afghan interpreter, Roya, in the heart of war-torn Kabul. They learn to navigate the stark realities of their worlds—his of global fame, hers of survival—through a romantic relationship that challenges their beliefs, risks their safety, and redefines what it means to fight for love. Led by Jay Ellis and Stephanie Nur, Duke & Roya explores high stakes romance and the choices we make.