Trinity Rep to Present Pulitzer Prize Winner PRIMARY TRUST This Season

This spring, Trinity Repertory Company presents the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Primary Trust by Eboni Booth. An acclaimed new comedy-drama directed by Resident Company Member Tatyana-Marie Carlo, this production runs April 9 – May 10 in the Dowling Theater.  

A company member since 2021, Carlo most notably helmed the audience-adored production of La Broa' (Broad Street) in 2024.  “What I love about Tatyana, from my experience seeing her work, is her ability to dive into the human quality of the characters she directs,” Resident Company Member Taavon Gamble said. “She's also just wonderful with actors and cultivating a community in every room she walks in.” 

Set in a sleepy Rochester suburb, Primary Trust follows Kenneth (Taavon Gamble), a lonely man living a routine life for two decades. When a sudden layoff rockets him out of his comfort zone, he is forced to face his biggest fear: change. The play is an intimate, offbeat new comedy and a heartwarming story about one man's leap of faith—and the friends he makes along the way. 

THE CREATIVE TEAM AND CAST 

Tatyana-Marie Carlo is a proud Puerto Rican director from Miami, Florida. A Trinity Rep resident artistic company member since 2021, and a graduate of the Brown/Trinity MFA Program in Directing, she has directed past productions of La Broa' (Broad Street), The Inferior Sex, Sueño, Fade, and A Christmas Carol at Trinity Rep. Off-Broadway directing credits include SPREAD and Vámonos (INTAR Theater). Select regional credits include The Glass Menagerie (Arkansas Rep), La Egoísta (Philadelphia Theatre Co.), Native Gardens (Dorset Theatre Festival), Pride & Prejudice (Hartford Stage), La Gringa (American Stage), Carmela, Full of Wishes (Children's Theatre Company), and Behold, A Negress (Everyman Theatre). She also directed Tanta Bulla …Y Pa' Qué?/Much Ado About Nothing and La Tempestad/The Tempest for Teatro en El Verano, Rhode Island Latino Arts and Trinity Rep's bilingual summer theater program. Named a “Broadway Industry Woman to Watch” by Broadway Women's Fund, Carlo is a former Matt Harris Directing Fellow at Williamstown Theater Festival and Drama League Public Works Fellow.   

Carlo will work with Scenic Designer Patrick Lynch, Costume Designer Amanda Downing Carney, Lighting Designer Lovanni Gomez, and Sound Designer Michael Costagliola. In addition to Gamble, the cast includes guest artist Rudy Cabrera (A Christmas Carol), guest artist Marina Tejada (La Broa' (Broad Street)), and Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Program in Acting student Daniel Shitvelberg. 

SPECIAL EVENTS 

Continuing Trinity Rep's tradition of offering affordable tickets for all, the theater will hold Pay What You Wish performances of Primary Trust are on Thurs Apr. 9 and Tues Apr. 14 at 7:30 pm. Pay What You Wish tickets are limited to two per person. These tickets can be purchased advanced online or by phone beginning on Thursday, Mar. 26 at 12 pm, or the day of the performance at the theater.   

Returning this season are Neighborhood Nights, where Rhode Island residents can access a 20% discount on 6:00 pm Sunday evening performances, based on where they live. Providence County residents are eligible for a Neighborhood Night discount for every Sunday evening performance. The Neighborhood Night performances for Kent, Washington, and Bristol & Newport Counties are on Apr. 19, Apr. 26, and May 3, respectively. Guests may claim this discount by entering their county name in all capital letters at checkout (i.e., PROVIDENCE).    

The Sensory Friendly performance of Primary Trust, designed to meet the needs of guests with sensitivities to light and sound, will be held on Wed. Apr. 29 at 7:30 pm. All performances May 6 – 10 are open captioned.