Kerry Washington and Pilar Savone Join ‘Duke & Roya’ Producing Team Ahead of Opening Night (EXCLUSIVE)

Kerry Washington and Pilar Savone have joined the producing team of “Duke & Roya” ahead of the off-Broadway play’s opening night.

From acclaimed playwright Charles Randolph-Wright (“Blue”) and directed by Warren Adams (“SuperHero”), “Duke & Roya” is a bold new play about romance, identity and culture starring Jay Ellis (“Top Gun: Maverick”) and Stephanie Nur (“Lioness”).

The show follows Duke, an American hip-hop superstar, who meets a fearless Afghan interpreter, Roya, in the heart of war-torn Kabul as “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,” according to the synopsis. The play also features Olivier winner and Tony nominee Noma Dumezweni (“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”) and Dariush Kashani (“Oslo”).

Performances begin on Tuesday at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, with the play’s 11-week engagement officially opening on June 24.

“We are beyond excited to be joining the producing team of ‘Duke & Roya’ and to support bringing new work to the stage,” said Washington and Savone in a statement. “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.”

Washington and Savone will produce under their Simpson Street banner, adding to a producing team that includes Emmy and Tony winner Mike Jackson, Emmy winner Ty Stiklorius and EGOT winner John Legend (for Get Lifted Film Co.), Naturi Naughton-Lewis (for Take Two Entertainment), Laura Ivey, Janet Brenner and Smada Media. General management is by TT Partners.

Additionally, the producing team announced the understudies for “Duke & Roya,” completing the full cast: Ariana Afradi (“Pieces”), Shirine Babb (“A Beautiful Noise”), René David Ifrah (“Homeland”) and Jequrey Slaton (“Power Book II: Ghost”).