Primary Trust to Close Weston Theater Company's 90th Season

Weston Theater Company will conclude its 90th Anniversary Season with Eboni Booth's Primary Trust, the profoundly affecting and surprisingly funny winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Directed by Bobbin Ramsey, the production runs August 26 through September 6 at Walker Farm.

Kenneth has built a carefully ordered life in a small town near Rochester, New York. For 15 years, his world has revolved around a bookstore job he loves, daily mai tais at Wally's tiki bar, and the companionship of his best friend, Bert. When Kenneth suddenly finds himself unemployed, he must step beyond the safety of routine and confront the possibility of connection, change, and a life larger than the one he has allowed himself to imagine.

Ever hopeful, Primary Trust is a tender exploration of new beginnings, old friends, and the courage it takes to transform your life. Booth's delicately drawn play asks how we protect ourselves and what becomes possible when we allow ourselves to be truly seen.

'What I find so beautiful about Primary Trust is that we are witnessing a community of people who are truly, honestly doing their best. And for the most part, doing it with kindness,' says director Bobbin Ramsey. 'In a culture that has conditioned us to expect the terrible thing to happen, Eboni Booth does something quietly radical: each time Kenneth takes a difficult step or chooses to trust someone new, he discovers unexpected possibilities in the people around him and in himself. I hope audiences walk away with a deeper sense of connection, compassion, and trust that through other people we will find the love and safety we need to grow.'

The cast features Michael Allyn Crawford as Kenneth, making his Weston debut following appearances in Choir Boy at Yale Repertory Theatre and productions at the Humana Festival, Little Theatre of the Rockies, and Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe. Weston veteran Raphael Peacock plays Bert, returning after appearances in Topdog/Underdog, A Raisin in the Sun, Our Town, Peter and the Starcatcher, and Two Trains Running. Amelia Windom, whose credits include the Off-Broadway production of The Play That Goes Wrong and television appearances on 'Law & Order: SVU', 'High Fidelity', and 'The Flight Attendant', plays Corrina and others. David Bonanno plays Clay, returning to Weston after nearly four decades of memorable work with the company, including An Iliad, Fun Home, The Music Man, and Floyd Collins. Bonanno was also a member of the original Broadway company of The Light in the Piazza.

Director Bobbin Ramsey is a New York-based film and theater director whose work encompasses new-play development, contemporary work, reimagined classics, and devised and nontraditional theater. Her recent productions include SHREW, an original adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew; Lucy Prebble's Enron; and the world premiere of Doug Robinson's Cactus Queen. She has developed work with Clubbed Thumb, New York Theatre Workshop, New Georges, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Cleveland Play House, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Ramsey holds an MFA from Yale School of Drama.

The creative team includes Scenic Designer Omid Akbari, Costume Designer Caroline Tyson, Lighting Designer Kyle Stamm, and Sound Designer UptownWorks; the sound design is led by Daniela Hart with Noel Nichols and Bailey Trierweiler and features Liam Bellman-Sharpe as recording guitarist and co-composer. Colleen M. Rooney serves as Production Stage Manager.

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