Philadephia Theatre Company opens up their 51st season with ‘Primary Trust’ a play that shows when change happens, good or bad, everyone can start again.
Beginning September 19, Philadelphia Theatre Company (PTC) located at 480 South Broad Street in Philadelphia opens its 51st season with the Philadelphia premiere of Primary Trust, the acclaimed play by 2024 Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Eboni Booth that earned widespread critical praise for its 2023 Off-Broadway world premiere at Roundabout Theatre Company, where it was heralded as one of the year’s most affecting new American plays. The production, featuring an all Philadelphia-based cast, runs to October 5 at PTC’s Suzanne Roberts Theatre.
With warmth, wit, and compassion, Primary Trust follows Kenneth, a gentle soul who’s spent two decades working at a used bookstore and enjoying happy hours at the local tiki bar with his closest companion Bert, who exists only in his imagination. When the bookstore closes, Kenneth must navigate finding a new job and build relationships with real-life people. In Booth’s masterfully observed portrait of small-town life, change comes in the form of a bank teller position, a friendly waiter, and the possibility that even the most solitary among us can start again.
“Primary Trust is a story about the courage it takes to be seen,” says PTC Co-Artistic Director Tyler Dobrowsky. “Eboni Booth’s writing is full of warmth and humanity. It’s funny and moving in equal measure, and under Amina Robinson’s direction, this play will resonate with anyone who’s ever had to start over.”
Praised by the Los Angeles Times for being “As tenderhearted as it is spryly comic and as poignant as it is ultimately uplifting,” Booth’s play is both a quirky comedy and a poignant reminder that we all need someone in our corner, even if they’re only in our head.
The PTC production of Primary Trust stars Akeem Davis as Bert, and PTC newcomers Newton Buchanan as Kenneth, Taysha Marie Canales as Corrina/Wally’s Waiter/Bank Customers, and David Ingram as Clay/Sam/Le Pousselet Bartender. .
As part of its commitment to education and Philadelphia’s young people, PTC will present a student matinee of Primary Trust at 10:30 a.m. on September 30. In advance of the performance, PTC teaching artists will lead free in-school workshops to help prepare students for the production.
For more information about PTC’s education. click here or email education@philatheatreco.org.
Please note: Primary Trust contains strong language, adult themes and is recommended for ages 12 and up. Single tickets start at $30, including applicable fees. Click here for tickets. They may also be purchased by phone at (215) 985-0420 or in person at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad Street in Philadelphia.
Performance dates are scheduled for Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m.; Wednesdays–Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. There will be a Saturday matinees at 2 p.m. on September 27 and October 4. There will also be a Wednesday matinee at 1 p.m. on October 1. The running time: 1 hour and 40 minutes, with no intermission.
Special events will be:
- Black Theatre Night: Thursday, September 25 at p.m., with special programming one hour prior to the performance
- Pre-Show Programming on Wednesday, October 1, at 1 p.m. and Thursday, October 2, at 7 p.m., one hour prior to each performance
- Post-Show Conversation: Sunday, September 28 at 3:00 p.m., following the performance
- Child Care Matinee: Saturday, October 4 at 2:00 p.m., beginning one hour prior to the performance
- Audio-Described Performance: Saturday, September 27 at 2 p.m.
- Open-Captioned Performance: Sunday, September 28 at 3 p.m.
- ASL-Interpreted Performance: Wednesday, October 1 at 1 p.m.
Click here for a complete schedule of performances and special event programming.
Video – Philadelphia Theatre Company on Youtube
