It’s worth another visit to see this Primary Trust, a theatrical masterclass in acting, at its Toronto premiere at Crow’s Theatre, running May–June 2026.
Directed with empathy and grace by Cherissa Richards, Primary Trust is set in Cranberry, a fictional, unassuming small suburb of Rochester, New York. The story follows the life of 38-year-old loner, Kenneth (a gentle performance by Durae McFarlane). He’s worked at the local bookstore for the last 20 years where owner Sam (Ryan Hollyman) has looked out for the young lad. After work every night, Kenneth ventures to Wally’s, the local tiki bar near his apartment, where he sips mai-tais with his friend Bert (haunting work by Peter N. Bailey that leaves me bereft of emotion near the end when it becomes clear who he is). The two men talk about what’s going on in their lives over drinks.
Kenneth’s life suddenly becomes a whirlwind of upheaval and crisis when he is laid off from his job at the bookstore. Sam must close the shop because he’s having serious surgery. Kenneth considers applying for a teller job at the local bank and is hired quickly.
Various people become part of Kenneth’s life as he learns to navigate moving forward beyond these last twenty-some years and confront his fears, dreams and buried grief that have kept him at a standstill.
Playwright Eboni Booth’s play is dramatic in nature. The dual meaning of the play’s title becomes extremely important. While she carefully crafts and weaves emotional peaks and valleys for dramatic effect, she appropriately injects humour where needed, allowing the audience to smile and even laugh quietly amid tender moments.
Julie Fox’s set and Imogen Wilson’s lighting designs skillfully capture the drab yet comforting visual world Kenneth inhabits. Thomas Ryder Payne’s sound design remains spot on throughout. Underscoring Lawrence Libor’s Tikibar music never overpowers the emotional intensity of the scene between Bert and Kenneth. Rachel Forbes selects costumes that reflect each character’s essence.
Ryan Hollyman plays a variety of touching characters akin to a father figure in Kenneth’s life. While bookstore owner Sam is foulmouthed. Even after an incident at the bank, Hollyman’s Carl (Kenneth’s supervisor) ensures the young man is alright. Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah also plays a variety of characters, but her Corinna is warm and caring. The date between these two young people becomes even more emotionally moving when he finally opens up to her about his life as a young lad. The hug that Roberts-Abdullah gives McFarlane remains extremely poignant because it’s as if the audience has done the exact same thing.
Peter N. Bailey’s Bert becomes the calming, loyal, trustworthy friend we all yearn for in life. Revealing any further information about Bailey’s Bert and his connection to McFarlane’s Kenneth would destroy the profound emotional vibrancy of the live masterclass acting experience on the Spriet stage. When Bailey and McFarlane stand off against each other in the bar near the end, there’s complete silence in the auditorium. I, for one, was on every word and did not want to miss a single one.
Durae McFarlane delivers a Voice Choice performance. His Kenneth is astonishing. McFarlane remains grounded and doesn’t let his outbursts get the better of him. When they do, as in the bank and the bar, it’s riveting to watch Durae bring his Kenneth back to a sturdy outward grounding.
I couldn’t help but be reminded of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town and how similar Primary Trust is. For one, Wilder’s much-produced three-act play features the Stage Manager, who breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the audience (a novelty when the play premiered) at the top of the show and at the conclusion, where lives have changed both in the story and, hopefully, in the audience.
The same occurs in Booth’s heartrending script. Durae McFarlane grabs the audience’s attention immediately as Kenneth. He addresses the audience respectfully and genially while sharing information about himself comfortably. By the end of the play, when McFarlane breaks the fourth wall to address the audience one more time, I’m moved to the point that I can’t speak for a few minutes after the curtain call.
Even the audience didn’t clap as the lights dimmed at the end of the play because it hit right at the heart. The message of loneliness and friendship resonates loudly in Primary Trust. That alone shows the power of theatre and what it can accomplish when it is done well.
Primary Trust remains directed, performed and done extremely well.
That’s the reason to see it.
Running time: approximately 95 minutes with no intermission.
The production runs to February 7 on the Spriet Stage at London, Ontario’s Grand Theatre, 471 Richmond Street. For tickets: grandtheatre.com or call the Box Office at (519) 672-8800.
The Grand Theatre in co-production with Crow’s Theatre present
PRIMARY TRUST by Eboni Booth
Directed by Cherissa Richards
Set Designer: Julie Fox
Costume Designer: Rachel Forbes
Lighting Designer: Imogen Wilson
Sound Designer: Thomas Ryder Payne
Stage Manager: Kai-Yueh Chen
Performers: Peter N. Bailey, Ryan Hollyman, Lawrence Libor, Durae McFarlane, Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah
