CPH’s ‘Primary Trust’ Confronts Loneliness and Finding Connection

Just three years ago, an advisory was released by the U.S. Surgeon General explaining that the U.S. is facing an epidemic of loneliness and isolation. Shifting societal structures in the face of the age of technology means that in-person, quality connections have waned–and this can have serious impacts on our health.

Loneliness lies at the heart of “Primary Trust,” a Pulitzer Prize-winning show by Eboni Booth now in performances at Cleveland Play House. This play is a touching piece that takes a complex string of loneliness, knotted by trauma and tangled with deep-seated fears, and slowly picks it apart using acts of kindness and empathy.

The story opens with 38-year-old Kenneth welcoming us to his home in the fictional city of Cranberry, New York. Kenneth’s life is predictable, and that’s how he likes it. He spends his days working at a bookstore and his evenings downing mai tais at a tiki bar with his best friend Bert. When his boss decides to sell the bookstore, Kenneth must find a new job and establish a new routine–something that he finds especially daunting. Fortunately, there’s an opening at Primary Trust, a local bank. As Kenneth settles into his new job and begins forming new friendships, he confronts his unique relationship with Bert, including the traumatic event that brought them together in the first place.

After witnessing Cleveland Play House’s production of the work, there is little question as to why “Primary Trust” is listed by American Theater as one of the most produced shows of the 2025-26 season. Booth’s tight, 90-minute show is flush with lovable characters. While the story line is simple and the stakes relatively low, audiences can’t help but become invested in Kenneth’s journey.

Debo Balogun makes for a wonderful, extremely likable Kenneth. We see many different sides of Kenneth throughout the show, for how he behaves with his best friend and inside of his own mind differs greatly from the more reserved, somewhat aloof way that he presents himself to the rest of the world. Balogun excels in portraying these multifaceted sides of Kenneth with believability.

Carl Hendrick Louis plays Bert, Kenneth’s oldest friend. He brings charisma and cheerfulness to the role, serving as an ideal best friend figure. After learning the true nature of Bert and Kenneth’s relationship–something that I will refrain from revealing here, as it is best discovered within the show–Bert’s character becomes an increasingly intriguing figure.

Portraying another important figure in Kenneth’s life is Brianna Miller. Miller is cast as Corrin, a new waitress at the tiki bar that Kenneth frequents every single day for happy hour. During a particularly low moment of his life, Corrin shows Kenneth kindness, and Miller’s portrayal of this kind, gracious character prompts plenty of smiles.

In the role of Clay, Kenneth’s new boss at Primary Trust, is a hilarious Christopher M. Bohan. Clay is a good-ole-boy who still reminisces over his years as a star football player. He’s quick to laugh and treats Kenneth with respect and kindness, despite his socially awkward quirks. Bohan is a natural in this role, and he handles the humor with skill.

Providing flavor to the world are ensemble members Meredith Nelson and Adam Ortega, who serve as a variety of other characters with whom Kenneth interacts, including bank customers and waitstaff.

Director Sideeq Heard, who served as associate director of the Tony-nominated Broadway production of “Fat Ham” (another show that has earned its way into the top-five produced shows of the 2025-26 season), is no stranger to directing popular works. Heard’s direction is expressionistic, using lighting, sound and scenic design to complement the on-stage talent’s construction of Kenneth’s reality.

Raul Abrego‘s set design crafts Kenneth’s world using what appears to be giant wooden blocks. Simplistic shapes like cubes, prisms and cylinders reminiscent of a child’s building blocks are stacked to create the story’s locales. The flooring uses a similar wooden facing and features strategically placed shapes that remind one of a game board. This design is not only inventive, but provides an environment that represents childhood, an especially fitting choice considering that Kenneth’s view of the world and relationships is heavily influenced by trauma that occurred during his youth.

Shapes set into the floor and walls are lit with electric yellows, greens and blues straight from the 80s by Aja M. Jackson. The sound design from DJ Potts uses uplifting 80s techno classic music to back Kenneth’s direct addresses to the audience and instrumental versions of songs–think Cyndi Lauper and Duran Duran–during moments that the main character is out and about in the world. Changes in both the lighting and sound set the tone and allow for tangible shifts in narrative.

“Primary Trust” is staged in the Outcalt Theatre and designed so that audiences surround the action on three sides. This complements the intimacy of the piece, but it also means that audiences are bound to be looking at the back of a character from time to time. This fact can lead to some frustration: emotional moments do not translate the same when staring at the back or side of a head.

“Primary Trust” wades into some emotional waters, intelligently dipping into mental health, trauma responses and coping mechanisms, but it never succumbs to the weight of these topics. Instead, the play uses humor to help balance the drama, leaving audiences contemplative of heavy topics, but with satisfied smiles at the end of the night. It also provides a message of hope, and in a time when loneliness is a growing epidemic, the value of a show that serves as a beacon of optimism cannot be overstated.

“Primary Trust” runs through March 1, 2026, at the Cleveland Play House in the Outcalt Theatre,1407 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland. Tickets can be purchased by calling (216) 241-6000 or by visiting clevelandplayhouse.com, $60-$102.