It's  Hard  to  Move  On:  PlayMakers'
Repertory Company's Primary Trust

Primary Trust at PlayMakers Rep stars Nate John Mark as Kenneth (photo by Huth Photo)

We often carry an expectation to "get over" difficult things quickly; to convince ourselves as much as anyone else that we're fine. PlayMakers Repertory Company's production of Primary Trust, playing Jan. 28-Feb. 15 in UNC-Chapel Hill's Paul Green Theatre, addresses this expectation through the story of a man clinging as hard as he can to the things that got him through his grief and loss. Primary Trust is a lighthearted but moving narrative about loss and connection, written by Eboni Booth and directed by NJ Agwuna.

Right off the bat, our narrator and lead Kenneth (Nate John Mark) invites the audience into his experience, introducing his favorite parts of his hometown through a wistful monologue. Lex Liang's set is static but inspired, consisting of an overhead shot of Kenneth's hometown and miniature buildings that Kenneth sits at when he visits them in the story.

Jeffrey Blair Cornell plays Clay and Sam and Nate John Mark plays Kenneth in Primary Trust at PlayMakers Rep (photo by Huth Photo)

The audience is brought into Kenneth's perception of his home; and the set, combined with the deeply personal narrative, pulls the audience into Kenneth's unbridled thoughts. The writing and production work in tandem to allow for some wonderfully nuanced expressions, which Nate John Mark absolutely nails. The stage setup at the Paul Green Theatre -- with audience seats on three sides of the protruding stage -- provides him with plenty of directions to face while he monologues, complementing the production as well.

Kenneth narrates most of the story as an autofiction, beginning with his love for his hometown and his habitual meeting at a bar with his best friend Bert. It is quickly revealed that Bert is imaginary, but Kenneth loves and talks to him anyway. When the bookstore where Kenneth works shuts down, he spirals and is forced to find a new job and meet new people.

Samuel Ray Gates (left) stars as Bert and Nate John Mark stars as Kenneth (photo by Huth Photo)

Kenneth's new job at the Primary Trust bank breaks down the isolation that he's cultivated with Bert, and the imaginary Bert "leaves" once Kenneth starts to spend time with new people, causing him to spiral once more. The plot is secondary to the expression in Primary Trust, and the show achieves much of its nuance through dramatic irony, working off the structure to cue the audience into what's happening. You can immediately tell when Kenneth represses something, or when he lies to himself; and the fact that we know Bert is imaginary even though he acts like a separate person creates some deeply nuanced feelings.

The cast does an incredible job, and it is clear that the cast and the director (NJ Agwuna) had a deep understanding not only of what the story Primary Trust expresses, but how it achieves that expression. Nate John Mark gives such a nuanced performance, allowing the audience to understand that Kenneth isn't just happy, he needs to be happy to escape losing his mother at a young age. As Kenneth spirals later in the show, Mark's portrayal of a mental break is heart-wrenching, complemented by a low rumble mimicking anxiety (sound design by Alex Thompson).

Nate John Mark (left) stars as Kenneth and Samuel Ray Gates stars as Bert in Primary Trust at PlayMakers Rep (photo by Huth Photo)

Bert, played by Samuel Ray Gates, is a moving friend, encouraging Kenneth to move on once he starts meeting new people. Mark and Gates have incredible chemistry, and their performances only get better as the conflict progresses. Gates has a knack for nuance as well; the audience is never in doubt that his character is trying to help Kenneth not need him anymore, a relatable and moving expression in its own right. Mark and Gates both prove less is more; they need no over-explained, overacted rant to have the audience hanging on to every breath.

Though the supporting cast provided more comic relief, they deserve plenty of credit in their own right. Rasool Jahan and Jeffrey Blair Cornell play an array of supporting roles with a flurry of comedic costume changes, and they bring a different flair to each character that they play. Cornell's French waiter may have been the funniest part of the show, and Jahan leaned into the legion of different waitresses that she plays to show time passing.

PlayMakers Rep's production of Primary Trust stars Nate John Mark (left) as Kenneth and Rasool Jahan as Corrina (photo by Huth Photo)

Overall, Primary Trust is a well-thought-out production. It is genuine, hurting, and hopeful; and it is far more about the expression and experience of connection than any one plot point.

With that said, there are a few nits to pick. Kenneth is easily relatable. Everyone struggles with connection and isolation, and it is difficult to let go of the things we feel protect us. However, as much as Kenneth struggles, things turn around pretty quickly for him. In reality, it can feel like we get knocked down far more often; and we fall much harder. The end is sweet and wrapped up well, but it is a bit rushed.

Nate John Mark stars as Kenneth in PlayMakers Rep's Jan. 28-Feb. 15 production of Primary Trust by Eboni Booth (photo by Huth Photo)

For a story that emphasizes how long it can take to move on, it does gloss over some of the difficulties in making friends after meeting them. On the technical side of things, the lighting and music were fairly simple, though effective. The rumble mimicking Kenneth's anxiety was inspired; but at times, the music inhibited an actor when they were in the moment by being a touch out of sync.

Primary Trust can feel more like an ideal at times: a validating recognition of how hard it is to connect and a reassurance of genuine empathy. It is a worthwhile ideal, and the production carries a strong message worth experiencing: coping is hard, overcoming isolation is even harder, but love and connection are always worth it.

Alex Thompson serves as music director for PlayMakers Rep's production of Eboni Booth's Primary Trust (photo by Huth Photo)

Eboni Booth's PRIMARY TRUST (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8 and 10-15), directed by NJ Agwuna and starring (in alphabetical order) Jeffrey Blair Cornell as Clay/Sam, Samuel Ray Gates as Bert, Rasool Jahan as Corrina, and Nate John Mark as Kenneth (PlayMakersRepertoryCompany in the Paul Green Theatre in UNC-Chapel Hill's Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art). TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR4fyAvkUPc&t=1s. FEATURETTE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpeFm0ZVv70. PLAYBILL (Mobile Version): https://playmakersrep.org/playbill-for-primary-trust. PLAYBILL (Desktop Version): https://online.fliphtml5.com/gtelh/Primary-Trust-Playbill/. PRESENTER: https://playmakersrep.org/, https://www.facebook.com/playmakersrep, https://www.instagram.com/playmakersrep/, https://www.tiktok.com/@playmakersrep, https://x.com/playmakersrep https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayMakers_Repertory_Company, and https://www.youtube.com/@PlayMakersRepertory. 2025-26 SEASON: https://playmakersrep.org/season/2025-2026/. PRC BLOG: https://playmakersrep.org/about-us/our-blog/. VENUE: https://playmakersrep.org/about-us/paul-green-theatre and https://unchistory.web.unc.edu/building-narratives/paul-green-theatre/. DIRECTIONS/PARKING: https://playmakersrep.org/visitor-info/directions-and-parking/. PRIMARY TRUST (2023 Off-Broadway play and winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Drama): https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/96908/primary-trust, https://web.archive.org/web/20241107011325/https://www.roundabouttheatre.org/get-tickets/2022-2023-season/primary-trust/, https://web.archive.org/web/20241106024712/https://www.iobdb.com/Production/7106, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_Trust. THE SCRIPT (excerpts): https://books.google.com/books. STUDY GUIDE (Roundabout Theatre Company): https://www.roundabouttheatre.org/get-tickets/upstage-guides-current/primary-trust-upstage-playgoers-guide. EBONI BOOTH (New York City-born actress, playwright, and screenwriter): https://www.newdramatists.org/eboni-booth, https://www.concordtheatricals.com/a/120368/eboni-booth, https://web.archive.org/web/20241109080843/http://www.iobdb.com/CreditableEntity/48621, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2061635/, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eboni_Booth. SHOW ADVISORY: PlayMakers Rep cautions, "Primary Trust contains strong language and mature themes. Please be aware that this production will include herbal cigarette use, haze, and intermittent bell sounds." See the CONTENT TRANSPARENCY (SPOILERS AHEAD) section for more information. NOTE 1: There will be Open Captions during and a post-show discussion after the show's 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8th, performance. NOTE 2: Arts Access, Inc. of Raleigh will audio-describe and sign-language interpret the show's 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11th, performance. TICKETS: $20 and up, plus taxes and fees. Click here to buy tickets. INFORMATION: 919-962-7529 or prcboxoffice@unc.edu. PLEASE DONATE TO: PlayMakers Repertory Company. Susie Potter's Triangle Arts Review Review.

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