Primary Trust
Category:Use mdy dates from April 2025
| Primary Trust | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Eboni Booth |
| Date premiered | May 4, 2023 |
| Place premiered | Laura Pels Theatre |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Drama |
| Setting | Cranberry Lake, New York 1990s |
Primary Trust is a dramatic stage play written by American playwright Eboni Booth. The production premiered Off-Broadway at the Laura Pels Theatre in 2023 and starred William Jackson Harper who received the Obie Award. The play was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2024.
Summary
The play tells the story of Kenneth, a 30-something African-American suburban bookstore worker in a fictional suburb of Rochester, New York with an imaginary friend who embarks on a journey of self-discovery. After being laid off from his long-time job, he considers applying for a new one at the Primary Trust Bank.[1][2]
Production history
 | This section contains an excessive amount of intricate detail. Specifically, Too much detail on successive productions, exhaustive and poorly formatted without clear encyclopedic value. (March 2026) |
Off-Broadway (2023)
The play premiered Off-Broadway at the Laura Pels Theatre, produced by the Roundabout Theatre Company, with support from The Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater and the Edgerton Foundation. The production was directed by Knud Adams.[3] William Jackson Harper won an Obie Award for distinguished performance, and the play was nominated for Outstanding Play by the Lucille Lortel Awards.[4][5][6] He also received nominations for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play and the Drama League Distinguished Performance Award.[7][8]
Signature Theatre (2024)
The play received its regional premiere at Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA, running from Sept 10-Oct 20, 2024 in the ARK Theatre, and directed by Taylor Reynolds.Category:All articles with unsourced statementsCategory:Articles with unsourced statements from December 2024[citation needed]
Barrington Stage Company (2024)
The closing play of the season at Barrington Stage Company, the play ran from Sept 18–Oct 13, 2024 at the St. Germain Stage in Pittsfield, MA.Category:All articles with unsourced statementsCategory:Articles with unsourced statements from December 2024[citation needed]
La Jolla Playhouse (2024)
The play premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, as a West Coast premiere, with a run of Sept 24-Oct 20, 2024, again directed by Knud Adams.[9]
Chicago (2024)
The Goodman Theatre in Chicago announced the play's regional premiere as part of the 2024-25 season.[10] It ran from October 5 to November 3, 2024.
Seattle (2024)
The play ran at the Seattle Repertory Theatre from October 24 to November 27, 2024. It was directed by Kaytlin McIntyre.[11]
Cincinnati, OH (2025)
Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park's production of Primary Trust, co-produced with McCarter Theatre Center, was directed by Timothy Douglas and ran February 1–23, 2025.[12]
Baltimore, MD (2025)
Everyman Theatre, Baltimore announced their production will be directed by Reginald L. Douglas and run February 2-March 2, 2025.[13]
Vancouver, Canada (2025)
The Arts Club Theatre Company announced their production of Primary Trust will be directed by Ashlie Corcoran, and run February 6–March 2, 2025.[14]
Houston, Texas (2025)
Alley Theatre announced their production of Primary Trust will be directed by Niegel Smith, and run May 2-May 25, 2025.[15]
Dallas, TX (2025)
Dallas Theater Center announced their production of Primary Trust will be directed by Sasha Maya Ada and run February 27 through March 23, 2025.[16]
Burlington, VT (2025)
Vermont Stage Company's production of Primary Trust was directed Jammie Patton and ran March 19-April 6, 2025.[17]
Princeton, NJ (2025)
McCarter Theatre Center's production of Primary Trust, co-produced by Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, was directed by Timothy Douglas and ran May 8–25, 2025.[18]
Boston, MA (2025)
SpeakEasy Stage Company's production of Primary Trust was directed by Dawn M. Simmons and ran September 12-October 11, 2025.[19]
Original cast and characters
| Character | Off-Broadway (2023) | Signature (2024) | La Jolla (2024) | Goodman (2024) | Everyman (2025) | Alley Theatre (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenneth | William Jackson Harper | Julius Thomas III | Caleb Eberhardt | Namir Smallwood | RJ Brown | Stanley Andrew Jackson |
| Bert | Eric Berryman | Frank Britton | James Udom | Charles Andrew Gardner | Louis E. Davis | David Rainey |
| Corrina / Others | April Matthis | Yesenia Iglesias | Rebecca S'Manga Frank | Christiana Clark | Andreá Bellamore | Michelle Elaine |
| Clay / Others | Jay O. Sanders | Craig Wallace | James Urbaniak | Fred Zimmerman | Jefferson A. Russell | Chris Hutchison |
Awards and nominations
2023 Off-Broadway production
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | Pulitzer Prize | Pulitzer Prize for Drama | Won | [20] | |
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play | William Jackson Harper | Nominated | [21] | |
| Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance | Nominated | [22] | ||
| Lucille Lortel Award | Outstanding Play | Nominated | [23] | ||
| Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play | William Jackson Harper | Nominated | |||
| Obie Awards | Performance | Won | [24] | ||
| Sustained Achievement in Design | Mikaal Sulaiman | Won | |||
| Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play | Won | [25] | ||
| Outstanding Lead Performer in an Off-Broadway Play | William Jackson Harper | Won | |||
| Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Play | April Matthis | Nominated | |||
| Jay O. Sanders | Won | ||||
| Outstanding Direction of a Play | Knud Adams | Nominated | |||
External links
References
- ↑ New York Times Review - Primary Trust accessed 05/06/2024
- ↑ Best Theater of 2023 - The New York Times
- ↑ "Primary Trust - Edgerton Foundation New Play Awards". circle.tcg.org.
- ↑ Jacobs-Jenkins, Branden (April 17, 2024). "Eboni Booth on 'Primary Trust': Only Connect". AMERICAN THEATRE.
- ↑ "Eboni Booth's Primary Trust Opens Off-Broadway May 25 | Playbill".
- ↑ Off-Broadway Database Listing accessed 05/06/2024
- ↑ Sarah Paulson Wins Drama League Award; See the Full List of Winners|Playbill
- ↑ Stereophonic Leads 2024 Drama Desk Awards With 7 Wins Including Outstanding Play|Playbill
- ↑ "Primary Trust". La Jolla Playhouse. November 19, 2024. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
- ↑ "2024/2025 Season". Goodman Theatre. October 24, 2024. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
- ↑ "Primary Trust". Seattle Rep. March 13, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
- ↑ "PRIMARY TRUST". cin. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
- ↑ "Everyman Theatre's 2024/2025 Season". Everyman Theatre. September 16, 2024. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
- ↑ "PRIMARY TRUST, Granville Island Stage". Arts Club Theatre Company. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
- ↑ Downing, Margaret. "Alley Theatre Announces its 2024-25 Season — Classy, Classic and Comic". Houston Press. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
- ↑ "PRIMARY TRUST,Dallas Theater Center". Dallas Theater Center. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
- ↑ "Primary Trust". Vermont Stage. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
- ↑ "Primary Trust". McCarter. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
- ↑ "Primary Trust". Retrieved October 12, 2025.
- ↑ "Eboni Booth's 'Primary Trust' Wins 2024 Pulitzer Prize For Drama; Play Was Staged Off Broadway By Roundabout Last Summer". Deadline Hollywood. May 6, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
- ↑ "2024 Drama Desk Award nominations announced". New York Theatre Guide. April 29, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
- ↑ "2024 Drama League Awards Nominations Are Out; Read the Full List". Playbill. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
- ↑ "2024 Lucille Lortel Award winners announced". New York Theatre Guide. May 5, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
- ↑ "Obie Awards 23". Obieawards. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
- ↑ "Dead Outlaw Leads 2024 Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations; Read the Full List". Playbill. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
