Theater

Pulitzer Prize-winning Primary Trust wins hearts with humor and tragedy

‘Primary Trust’ wins hearts with humor and tragedy

The play delivers on its heartfelt performances and compelling visuals for its Syracuse Stage run.

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Garrett Turner, Eunice Woods, and Bjorn DuPaty in the 2024 Pulitzer Prize winner Primary Trust by Eboni Booth at Syracuse Stage. Jan. 26 – Feb. 9, 2025.

In a post-COVID world, many are still recovering from the years of social isolation and changes thereof. Playwright Eboni Booth’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Primary Trust at the Syracuse Stage tackles these issues head-on. 

Primary Trust follows the story of Kenneth (Garrett Turner), who lives in the fictional town of Cranberry, New York. He meets his only friend Bert (Bjorn DuPaty) each night at a tiki bar for Mai Tais. After the bookstore he works at closes, Kenneth’s routine is thrown off kilter and he is confronted by the isolating and changing nature of life.  

The set design is reminiscent of what one might find in any local shop in upstate New York older than 30 years old. A diorama of Cranberry surrounds the stage and Kenneth is situated on top of the town as he tells his story to the audience. Once the bookstore shuts down, the clock from the shop stays onstage for the rest of the play. It’s a key detail that conveys how Kenneth struggles to move forward from his trauma that traps him in the past – each day used to be indistinguishable, yet suddenly it’s ever-changing.  

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Garrett Turner, who plays Kenneth, speaks directly to the crowd of Primary Trust

The multiple roles each actor undertook revealed insight behind Kenneth’s mindset. The customers at Kenneth’s job and the waitresses at the tiki bar, for example, are all played by one actress (Eunice Woods). Woods transforms herself, both in appearance and personality, to match each character shift. This mirrors Kenneth’s mindset at the start of the play, blurring the days and people together.  

It was impressive how palpable Kenneth’s loneliness became as the play progressed. The play starts and ends cyclically, with Kenneth alone on stage emphasized by a white spotlight that isolates him from his surroundings. Even though he’s alone, Kenneth’s stage presence fills the theater, with each pause and gesture becoming prose. The detail of Kenneth and Bert always working in tandem is crucial to who Bert really is (or more accurately, who he isn’t). 

Even though the actors were captivating on their own, the virtuosity of lighting could have been utilized more. The only note of time passing was the clock hands moving between each sequence in lieu of the lighting. When Kenneth was outlined with pinks and blues, his contemplation was  presented visually, in a way the audience could digest. 

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Eunice Woods plays a multitude of roles in Primary Trust.

The libretto works as almost a character study of Kenneth. It’s a reflective piece that doesn’t shy away from the effects of grief and trauma. Kenneth’s grief over losing his mother becomes a thread throughout each scene, culminating in a tearful final monologue. I could hear sniffles all around me, which is a testament to the written work and Turner’s talent as an actor; Kenneth’s grief is tangible, and audiences feel it.

The play effectively diffuses the tragedy with humor, balancing heavy moments with a sense of realism. Through tragedy and humor, the dialogue becomes more realistic and thus, becomes easy to tap into one’s sense of pathos.  

Primary Trust isn’t about the heroes in life, but about an ordinary person finding strength in community and persevering despite losing loved ones. 

Ticket information for the remaining Syracuse Stage performances.