Omar Metwally & Arian Moayed Will Lead World Premiere of Rajiv Joseph's Guards at the Taj Off-Broadway

Tony nominees Omar Metwally and Arian Moayed will star in the previously reported world premiere of Guards at the Taj off-Broadway. Directed by Amy Morton, the play by Pulitzer Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph is set for a limited engagement May 20 through June 28. Opening night is scheduled for June 11 at Atlantic Theater Company at The Linda Gross Theater.

Metwally will play Humayun and received a Tony nod for his performance in Sixteen Wounded. He has also been seen on stage in As You Like It. Screen credits include Munich, Rendition, Miral and the upcoming Dig. Moayed will take on the role of Babur and garnered a Tony nomination for Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. Off-Broadway appearances include Masked, King Lear, Food & Fadwa and American Pilot. He is currently developing the pilot for the thriller miniseries The Accidental Wolf, starring The King and I’s Kelli O’Hara.

In 1648 India, two Imperial Guards watch from their post as the sun rises for the first time on the newly-completed Taj Mahal—an event that shakes their respective worlds. When they are ordered to perform an unthinkable task, the aftermath forces them to question the concept of friendship, beauty and duty, and changes them forever.

The production will feature scenic design by Timothy R. Mackabee, with costume design by Bobby Frederick Tilley II, lighting design by David Weiner, original music and sound design by Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen, special effects design by Jeremy Chernick and fight direction by J. David Brimmer.