PRIMARY TRUST to be Presented at Guthrie Theater in October

The Guthrie Theater has revealed the cast and creative team for Primary Trust by Eboni Booth, directed by Marshall Jones III. The show begins previews on Saturday, October 11, opens on Thursday, October 16 and will play through Sunday, November 16 on the McGuire Proscenium Stage. 

Artistic Director Joseph Haj said, “Since receiving the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2024, Primary Trust has become one of the most-produced plays in the country, and I’m thrilled to stage it at the Guthrie this fall. Eboni Booth’s story of friendship, new beginnings and human connection beautifully reminds us that sometimes the most powerful steps we can take are small steps toward each other.” Haj continued, “It’s been a joy to welcome acclaimed theatermaker Marshall Jones III to the Guthrie and see the company, under his keen direction, handle this play with such great care.”

Primary Trust follows Kenneth, a 38-year-old man living in a small town in upstate New York, who has everything he needs: a bookstore job he loves, his Best Friend Bert, daily mai tais at Wally’s and a simple, steady routine — that is, until he finds himself unemployed. With Bert’s encouragement, Kenneth applies to be a teller at Primary Trust Bank, and he gets the job. Thriving at work, he slowly begins to open his heart to new people and possibilities. But when newfound rhythms threaten his friendship with Bert, Kenneth must face his past before he can fully embrace his future. This Pulitzer Prize-winning new play reveals our universal need for human connection and each other.

Director Marshall Jones III described Primary Trust as a “coming-of-age story where a 38-year-old Black man, who lives in a mostly white suburb of Rochester, New York, is challenged by an innocuous event that causes him to overcome his childhood trauma and ultimately find happiness. Throughout the play, the audience will want to give Kenneth a hug; at the end, they’ll be cheering him on.”

The cast of Primary Trust includes Pearce Bunting (Guthrie: The Mousetrap) as Sam/Clay/Le Pousselet Bartender, Nubia Monks (Guthrie: The Nacirema Society, A Raisin in the Sun) as Wally’s Waiters/Corrina/Bank Customers, William Sturdivant (Guthrie: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Lehman Trilogy, The History Plays) as Bert and Bryce Michael Wood (Guthrie: debut) as Kenneth.

The creative team includes Marshall Jones III (Director), Sara Ryung Clement (Scenic Designer), An-lin Dauber (Costume Designer), Jason Lynch (Lighting Designer), Lindsay Jones (Sound Designer/Composer), Faye M. Price (Dramaturg), Keely Wolter (Resident Vocal Coach), Joey Miller (Movement Coordinator), Jennifer Liestman (Resident Casting Director), Lori Lundquist (Stage Manager), Marne Anderson (Assistant Stage Manager), Marisa B. Tejeda (Assistant Director) and McCorkle Casting, Ltd. (NYC Casting Consultant).

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