Charles Randolph-Wright is a playwright whose work we should treasure. His latest work, “Duke & Roya,” which just finished playing at the Lucille Lortel Theatre at 121 Christopher Street, is a testament to that. This play had a strong message about the war in Afghanistan and how the people there are living — or just merely existing. Duke, a famous Black hip-hop artist, comes to Kabul to entertain the troops at a military base. Upon his arrival he meets Roya, an interpreter, and her father Sayeed, who is also an interpreter. When Duke first meets Roya, he is attracted to her. While she is a fan, she is also not your average Afghan young woman. This is a country where women are not allowed to attend school, must remain fully covered, and are largely confined to their homes. They are not allowed to speak in public; the radical changes that occurred in this country are the result of the Taliban taking over. Roya does not fit this mold at all. The play explores the choices we make in life and the lasting impact they can have on ourselves and those around us.
While Duke is there entertaining the troops, he shares with Roya that he wants to see the country’s beauty beyond the base, something forbidden for his own safety. Roya finds a way to sneak him out and takes him to a tea house, a place where only men can enter. Roya goes disguised as a man, something she is used to doing from when she was younger. When Duke is at the tea house, a situation arises that becomes an international incident, and it is a situation that changes Duke’s life.
Randolph-Wright does a magnificent job of laying out clearly what the people of Afghanistan had to go through under the Taliban and how even the native people who work on the U.S. military base are not above suspicion when something goes wrong. It is sad to know that people are living in a society where doing anything in public can come with the threat of death. Roya is a strong character and she is dedicated to helping her people. She must live a balancing act on several fronts and still navigate through a friendship with Duke that she finds confusing. Sayeed, Roya’s father, is constantly trying to get visas secured for him, his wife, and four daughters to leave the country, but is facing years and years of delays. His character is compelling—he works on the base with the Americans, assisting in the interrogation of those arrested and suspected of Taliban ties, all while defending his own loyalty to his role with the U.S. government.
While Duke is in Afghanistan, his mother Desiree joins him. She is an attorney, a strong Black woman and becomes an ally to try to assist Sayeed and his family to get visas. She is also a mother who has tried to raise her son to be a good person and realizes that he often does what he wants and won’t take responsibility for the consequences of his actions. It is wonderful to witness how, when Duke gets too full of himself, she brings him back to reality.
This cast is sublime in their intense, at times passionate delivery of this story. What I find incredible to believe is that this is a stage debut for both Jay Ellis (HBO’s “Insecure”) and Stephanie Nur, who play Duke and Roya. Ellis delivered a captivating, clever, charming and engaging performance of Duke. He handled the character with great ease and heart. Nur was powerful, determined, and very distinctive as Roya, a young lady who had much more on her plate than any young woman should have to handle, but managed to stay diligent and as committed as possible. Dariush Kashani gave a quite riveting, intense, and memorable performance as Sayeed, a man trying to look out for his family, while balancing being unseen for his loyalty and work. Noma Dumezweni was an absolute dream as Desiree. She bought just the right amount of spirit, conviction, and motherly chastisement to the role, while also bringing compassion and passion.
On the technical side, this play worked beautifully with scenic design by Wilson Chin, lighting design by Amina Alexander, costume design by Sanowber Sabrina Spanta, and sound design by Taylor J. Williams.
The play was stirringly directed by Warren Adams. Production like this are so important for bringing attention back to a situation that should not be forgotten. Please, please, please, if you hear that this play is being staged again, you MUST GO.