Berkshire on Stage

Capital Repertory Theater makes a habit of showcasing playwrights from their Next Act! Play Summit as main stage productions around this time of year. Last spring, Rosie is Red and Everybody Else is Blue by John Spellos played to very positive reviews. The year before, Ajene D. Washington’s Three Mothers played to a less favorable reception. The current offering at the REP is called Dodi & Diana, a play by two-time Next Act! finalist Kareem Fahmy about a modern-day couple who believe themselves to be the astrological double of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed (or, at least, their astrologer believes them to be, and they are at a hotel in Paris on his word). It’s an outlandish premise, and the fact this play is at all enjoyable is a testament to Fahmy’s dialogue and the lead actors. Dodi & Diana is not without its problems, but there is still plenty in this show to enjoy.

The play takes place over the course of three days entirely inside a luxurious hotel room. The stage is therefore set up as a luxury hotel room with a large bed front and center. The set, designed by Misha Kachman, certainly looks as luxurious as I would imagine the rooms of the Hôtel Ritz Paris should be. The bed in the center of the stage also brings the main couple’s marital troubles to the forefront.

The play’s main couple are played by Shaun Anthony and Jessica Damouni with great chemistry in their tender scenes, in their sexual scenes, and in their fights. Damouni is especially compelling as an up-and-coming actress navigating sexism, racism, and the general mercilessness of the entertainment industry. Anthony is harder to love as a Canadian-born banker with deep insecurities, but that is the nature of his character and not the fault of Anthony’s acting. Toward the end of the play, the two actors play a scene as Dodi Fayed and Princess Diana in an imagined scene of their last private moments together, and in this scene Anthony and Damouni are riveting and regal. 

The skill of both actors make the main characters real, but I cannot say the characters are easy to relate to. An actress on the rise to fame and a banker in the height of his career are about as easy for the average audience member to find common ground with as, well, Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed. While I very much enjoyed this production’s acting and stagecraft, when I thought about the plot I found myself wondering why on Earth I should care. Perhaps it’s meant to be a spectacle to be watched the way everyday people watch celebrity drama. It certainly has that aesthetic, as the couple goes between flattering underwear and expensive formalwear as they sit in their private suite. (Do extravagantly wealthy people never wear cozy pajamas, even when they’re lounging around in private?) The costumes are beautiful, but they are a constant reminder that these are elite people with elite people problems, and without the fame and intrigue that surrounded the real-life Dodi and Diana.

Because of this, it’s hard to care much about what becomes of the two main characters and their rocky marriage. Perhaps this is a symptom of my own cynicism, but I found it hard to get invested in the marital troubles of two people who are good-looking, wealthy, and charming, who–in short–would be just fine on their own and who would not even have much trouble finding love again. If they had at any point gotten into a car with an intoxicated driver, or done anything else potentially dangerous, I would have been interested to see how their fate might mirror (or not) the fate of their so-called astrological doubles. But the question of whether or not the two characters could make their marriage work isn’t going to keep the audience on the edge of their seat.

I will also be the first to admit that I don’t have much patience for celebrity drama either, so perhaps I am simply not this play’s target audience. I can most certainly recommend this play to anyone who is entertained by the romantic troubles of the upper-crust. And, as I said, there is plenty to enjoy in this production’s stagecraft and the performance of the main actors, so if that is enough to keep you engaged then Dodi and Diana will be worthwhile.

Capital Repertory Theatre presents Dodi and Diana by Kareem Fahmy, directed by Michael John Garcés, runs from April 24-May 17, 2026, at the REP, 251 North Pearl St., Albany, NY 12207. Cast: Shaun Anthony as Jason and Jessica Damouni as Samira. Set design by Misha Kachman. Lighting and production design by Tom Ontiveros. Costume design by Debra Kim Sivigny. Sound design by Bryn Scharenberg. Fight choreography and intimacy coordination by Crista Marie Jackson. Production stage manager: Shayne David Cameris.

Performance dates are Tuesday–Sunday (April 24 – May 17). Tuesday – Thursday evening performances are at 7:30pm, with an additional Wednesday matinee on May 6 at 1:30pm; Friday and Saturday evening performances are at 8pm, with Saturday matinees at 2pm; and Sunday performances are matinees only at 2pm. Tickets range from $23 to $82.80. Runs approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes with no intermission. Contains moments of sexual intimacy and strobe effects. Recommended for ages 16+.Tickets are available at the door, by phone at (518) 346-6204, or online at https://attherep.org/.