GUTHRIE THEATER PRESENTS EBONI BOOTH’S PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING DRAMA PRIMARY TRUST, DIRECTED BY MARSHALL JONES III

This tenderhearted play uses small but meaningful triumphs to highlight
friendship, community and healing

Previews begin Saturday, October 11; Opening on Thursday, October 16
Playing through Sunday, November 16 on the McGuire Proscenium Stage

(Minneapolis/St. Paul) — The Guthrie Theater (Joseph Haj, Artistic Director) today announced 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. Single and group tickets are now on sale exclusively through the Box Office or online at guthrietheater.org. Accessibility services (ASL-interpreted, audio-described and open-captioned performances) are also available on select dates.

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).

Originally produced by Roundabout Theatre Company, Primary Trust premiered Off-Broadway on May 4, 2023. In 2024, it received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play. Primary Trust is among the most popular plays being produced at theaters across the country, reaching number two on American Theatre’s list of The Top 10 Most-Produced Plays of the 2025–2026 Season with 21 productions. This will be the Guthrie’s first production of Eboni Booth’s work.

Biographies

Eboni Booth (Playwright) is a writer and actor from New York City. Her plays include Primary Trust (Roundabout Theatre Company; Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Outer Critics Circle Award) and Paris (Atlantic Theater Company). For television, she has written for Hulu’s We Were the Lucky Ones and HBO Max’s Julia. As an actor, Booth has appeared in productions at Playwrights Horizons, LCT3, Manhattan Theatre Club, Ars Nova, WP Theater, Page 73, Soho Rep, Clubbed Thumb and more. She is a resident playwright at New Dramatists and the recipient of the Horton Foote Award, Steinberg Playwright Award, Helen Merrill Award for Playwriting and John Gassner Award. She is a graduate of Juilliard’s playwriting program and the University of Vermont.

Marshall Jones III (Director) has 35 years of experience producing theater and live entertainment in a wide variety of key executive positions at some of New York City’s most prestigious venues. For 13 years (2007–2019), he was the Producing Artistic Director for the Tony Award-winning Crossroads Theatre Company, which he navigated through a wide variety of challenges, including producing Crossroads on the Road for two seasons and opening the state-of-the-art New Brunswick Performing Arts Center. Other directing credits include A Christmas Carol – The Musical and the world premieres of Walter Mosley’s Lift, White Lilies by Walter Mosley, Beyond the Oak Trees about Harriet Tubman and the satirical political comedy Back to the Real by Pia Wilson. In 2018, Jones III served as the Creative Consultant for the Off-Broadway production of Little Rock, which was a New York Times Critic’s Pick. For eight years (2010–2018), he served on the board for Theatre Communications Group (TCG), and he currently serves on the board for the New Jersey Theatre Alliance. Jones III earned a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Rutgers University and an M.A. in Arts Management from New York University. 

Related Events

Post-Play Discussions
Patrons are invited to stay in the theater following select performances for a 20-minute conversation about the production facilitated by Guthrie staff. Cast members may join the discussion as they are able.

Tuesday, October 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, October 22 at 1 p.m.
Sunday, October 26 at 1 p.m.
Sunday, November 2 at 1 p.m.
Saturday, November 8 at 1 p.m.

Accessible Performances

ASL-Interpreted Performances
American Sign Language interpreters sign the performance as it plays out onstage.

Saturday, November 8 at 1 p.m.
Friday, November 14 at 7:30 p.m.

Audio-Described Performances
Audio describers provide live verbal descriptions of the action, costumes and scenery for people who are blind or have low vision.

Saturday, November 8 at 1 p.m.
Friday, November 14 at 7:30 p.m.

Open-Captioned Performances
LED screens display text simultaneously with the performance onstage.

Saturday, November 1 at 1 p.m.
Wednesday, November 5 at 1 p.m.
Sunday, November 9 at 2 p.m.
Wednesday, November 12 at 1 p.m.
Friday, November 14 at 7:30 p.m.

The Guthrie also provides accessible services upon request. Requests must be received at least two weeks in advance can be directed to 612.225.6390 or accessibility@guthrietheater.org.

Ticket Information

Single tickets range from $35 to $94 (handling fees included). Purchase single and group tickets (minimum requirement of 15 per group) through the Box Office at 612.377.2224 (single), 1.877.477.8243 (toll-free), 612.225.6244 (group) or online at guthrietheater.org.

Land Acknowledgment

The Guthrie would like to acknowledge that we gather on the traditional land of the Dakota People and honor with gratitude the land itself and the people who have stewarded it throughout the generations, including the Ojibwe and other Indigenous nations.

The GUTHRIE THEATER (Joseph Haj, Artistic Director) is an American center for theater performance in Minneapolis, Minnesota, dedicated to producing a mix of classic and contemporary plays and cultivating the next generation of theater artists. Under Haj’s leadership, the Guthrie is guided by four core values: Artistic Excellence; Community; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility; and Fiscal Responsibility. Since its founding in 1963, the theater has continued to set a national standard for excellence in the field and serve the people of Minnesota as a vital cultural resource. The Guthrie houses three state-of-the-art stages, production facilities, classrooms and dramatic public spaces. guthrietheater.org