Duke & Roya

 Duke & Roya
Lucille Lortel Theatre
July 9, 2025

Photo courtesy of Duke & Roya

Duke & Roya is a beautifully written and masterfully directed new play.  The story addresses the cultural difference of the characters as they share and expand their creative and political voices.  More importantly, it is about human connection and finding your true self in spite of the expectations placed upon you.  Playwright Charles Randolph-Wright has crafted a masterpiece.  Director Warren Adams focuses on the relationships of the four characters, their obstacles and triumphs, which keeps the action flowing smoothly.  The cast is extraordinary, delivering brilliantly truthful performances. 

The year is 1917.  Duke (played by Jay Ellis) is a famous American Rap artist.  He travels to Afghanistan to perform for the U.S. troops.  He meets Roya (played by Stephanie Nur), an Afghan translator.  She is independent and forthright, characteristics Duke has not found in the women he meets.  After the concert, Duke convinces her to take him on an adventure off the base.  It is prohibited and dangerous.  When there is a bombing in the tea shop where they stop to eat, Duke is injured.  This shines a light of suspicion on Roya.  Duke’s mother, Desiree (played by Noma Dumezweni), flies in from England to see him.  Roya’s father, Sayeed (played by Dariush Kashani), who is also a translator for the American forces, is very concerned about how this incident will affect his family. 

Stephanie Nur & Jay Ellis
Photo courtesy of Duke & Roya

Jay Ellis and Stephanie Nur light a fire in their first scene together.  It sparks and smolders, taking the
action of the play to its tender conclusion.  Mr. Ellis portrays Duke as pompous and privileged in the first few scenes, while Ms. Nur plays Roya as aloof and guarded.  The differences in their upbringing and lifestyles are vast.  As Duke chips away at Roya’s defenses, she challenges his self-awareness.  This continues throughout the play.  Their connection is genuine and breathtaking.  It is fascinating to watch the transformation this relationship causes in their characters.  

Jay Ellis & Noma Dumezweni
Photo courtesy of Duke & Roya

There is a great cultural divide between the characters of Sayeed and Desirees.  Dariush Kashani and Noma Dumezweni skillfully portray this in the relationships they have with their very independent and determined adult children.  They unexpectedly find common ground, then openly express disappointment with their children’s actions.  They push them to accept responsibility.  This seems like an impossible task to impose on a self-centered Rap star, and a severe demand to place on a young Afghan woman.  These parent/child relationships strengthen through the events of the story because they are grounded in mutual love and respect.

The action of the story takes these four characters on a journey toward self-awareness and cultural understanding.  They are all pushed to their limits, facing their inherent flaws and cultural restrictions.

Duke & Roya is playing at the Lucille Lortel Theatre through August 23.  It is a must see!  

Domenick Danza

A Human Being Died That Night

A Human Being Died That Night

The Fugard Theatre and Eric Abraham

BAM Fisher / Fishman Space

June 20, 2015

A Human Being Died That Night
Photo courtesy of BAM and the Fugard Theatre

“Between good and evil there is a thin paper.”  Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela makes this statement in a scene from A Human Being Died That Night.  The play, a Fugard Theatre and Eric Abraham production, is an emotional and political unraveling into the levels of forgiveness that are needed for a society to move on from deplorable acts of violence.  Currently playing at BAM Fisher / FishmanSpace, this is an important work that needs to be experienced by all.

The play is written by Nicholas Wright, based on the book by the same title written by Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, a psychologist who served on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in post-Apartheid South Africa.  It was created directly from taped interviews she conducted with Eugene de Kock, whom she first came in to contact with at a victim hearing while he was serving two life sentences and 120 years in prison for crimes against humanity.  He was nicknamed “Prime Evil” for his participation in Apartheid violence, torture, and murders.

A Human Being Died That Night
Photo courtesy of BAM and the Fugart Theatre

The play analyzes how we perceive someone who performed horrendous acts of violence as a “monster.”  It then deconstructs this initial perception by introducing facts, information, and points of view that transform the “monster” into a person.  As de Kock tells it, “a cog in a bigger wheel,” does not make him less guilty, just flawed and more human.  Playwright Nicholas Wright and Director Jonathan Munby take us through the many layers of understanding in order to see how forgiveness is essential to healing, both personally and as a society.

Noma Dumezwani
Photo courtesy of BAM
and the Fugard Theatre

Noma Dumezweni as Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela and Matthew Marsh as Eugene de Kock both deliver intense and provocative performances.  The production comes to BAM from the Fugard Theatre in Cape Town, South Africa.  It is flawlessly directed by Jonathan Munby.  The sound and lighting design by Christopher Shutt and Tim Mitchell blend together to generate seamless transitions in time, location, and inner monologue.

Matthew Marsh
Photo courtesy of BAM
and the Fugard Theatre

This play needs to be seen and discussed.  I could not help thinking about what I heard earlier that day on the news about the families of victims of the recent Charleston church massacre welcoming and forgiving the shooter.  Also what crossed my mind was an episode of Law & Order that ended with a mother forgiving the convicted murderer of her son and promising to pray for him because he will need God in “that dark place where he is going.”  What also came up for me during the play was how I blubbered like a baby when I heard on the news a few weeks ago that the Boston bomber was sentenced to death.  This play asks the essential question: How do we forgive the unforgivable?  According to Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela’s research and interviews, victims do not want to hold onto the pain.  They crave the giving of forgiveness, knowing it is an essential step to being able to morn and walk through the healing process.  

The silence that filled the theatre when the show ended was strong proof of how powerful and important this show is, especially at this time.  A Person Died That Night is playing until June 21 at BAM Fisher / Fishman Space.  I heard through my colleague Deirdre DeLoatch that BAM secured the rights to film the performance and show it to students sometime within the next year.  Be sure to experience it. 

Domenick Danza