Primary Trust

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 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

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.^[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.^[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]

Baltimore, MD (2025)

Everyman Theatre, Baltimore announced their production will be directed by Reginald L. Douglas and run February 2-March 2, 2025.[12]

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.[13]

Original cast and characters

Character	Off-Broadway (2023)	Signature (2024)	La Jolla (2024)	Goodman (2024)
Kenneth	William Jackson Harper	Julius Thomas III	Caleb Eberhardt	Namir Smallwood
Bert	Eric Berryman	Frank Britton	James Udom	Charles Andrew Gardner
Corrina / Others	April Matthis	Yesenia Iglesias	Rebecca S'Manga Frank	Christiana Clark
Clay / Others	Jay O. Sanders	Craig Wallace	James Urbaniak	Fred Zimmerman

Awards and nominations

2023 Off-Broadway production

Year	Award	Category	Nominee	Result	Ref.
2024	Pulitzer Prize	Pulitzer Prize for Drama		Won	[14]
	Drama Desk Award	Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play	William Jackson Harper	Nominated	[15]
	Drama League Awards	Distinguished Performance		Nominated	[16]
	Lucille Lortel Award	Outstanding Play		Nominated	[17]
		Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play	William Jackson Harper	Nominated
	Obie Awards	Performance		Won	[18]
		Sustained Achievement in Design	Mikaal Sulaiman	Won
	Outer Critics Circle Awards	Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play		Won	[19]
		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 (Broadway or Off-Broadway)	Knud Adams	Nominated

External links

• Official website

References

1. New York Times Review - Primary Trust accessed 05/06/2024
2. Best Theater of 2023 - The New York Times
3. "Primary Trust - Edgerton Foundation New Play Awards". circle.tcg.org.
4. Jacobs-Jenkins, Branden (April 17, 2024). "Eboni Booth on 'Primary Trust': Only Connect". AMERICAN THEATRE.
5. "Eboni Booth's Primary Trust Opens Off-Broadway May 25 | Playbill".
6. Off-Broadway Database Listingaccessed 05/06/2024
7. Sarah Paulson Wins Drama League Award; See the Full List of Winners|Playbill
8. Stereophonic Leads 2024 Drama Desk Awards With 7 Wins Including Outstanding Play|Playbill
9. "Primary Trust". La Jolla Playhouse. November 19, 2024. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
10. "2024/2025 Season". Goodman Theatre. October 24, 2024. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
11. "Primary Trust". Seattle Rep. March 13, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
12. "Everyman Theatre's 2024/2025 Season". Everyman Theatre. September 16, 2024. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
13. "PRIMARY TRUST, Granville Island Stage". Arts Club Theatre Company. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
14. "Eboni Booth's 'Primary Trust' Wins 2024 Pulitzer Prize For Drama; Play Was Staged Off Broadway By Roundabout Last Summer". Deadline Hollywood. 6 May 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
15. "2024 Drama Desk Award nominations announced". New York Theatre Guide. 29 April 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
16. "2024 Drama League Awards Nominations Are Out; Read the Full List". Playbill. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
17. "2024 Lucille Lortel Award winners announced". New York Theatre Guide. 5 May 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
18. "Obie Awards 23". Obieawards. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
19. "Dead Outlaw Leads 2024 Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations; Read the Full List". Playbill. Retrieved May 6, 2024.