Winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Eboni Booth’s heartwarming play, Primary Trust offers up a modern, tiki-lit homage to slices of Americana. Kenneth’s predictable life—Mai Tais at his favorite bar, Wally’s, and a steady job at a local bookstore—unravels, forcing him to confront a childhood loss amid the uncertainties of adulthood. With guidance from an imaginary friend, a kind waitress, and a splash of liquid courage, he discovers that trust, love, and friendship—much like the perfect Mai Tai—are best mixed in unexpected ways.

Primary Trust is about Kenneth dealing with change—his only job, ever is going away. When you first walk in, you are immersed in his upside-down world—quite literally. The set itself appears upside down, a creative decision meant to mirror the main character’s turmoil. Kenneth doesn’t really know how he fits in this world. He’s dealing with trauma and trying to figure out how to heal. His coping mechanisms—including relying on an imaginary friend, Bert—seem strange, but as his story is told, you see the deep roots of his emotional survival.

Primary Trust is set in the mythical town of Cranberry, New York, located forty miles east of Rochester. It is a small enough town that everyone knows everyone else, except for Kenneth. That is because his circle of friends is so small. Expanding that circle is the journey that is made in this play. Although the playwright and most of the cast is black and this is Black History month, the play is not really about race. Primary Trust is the name of the bank where Kenneth gets a job after the bookstore closes, but as the name of the play, it signifies the deep level of trust that Kennith needs to develop with other people.