All You Need is One – The Power of Friendship – Primary Trust

Jun 8, 2025 by Two Sues On the Aisle

By Two Sues on the Aisle, Susie Rosenbluth and Sue Weston

Primary Trust, a 2024 Pulitzer-winning play, written by Eboni Booth, played at the McCarter Theater through May 25. The show begins similarly to Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” with a lone character on stage, Kenneth (DeShawn Harold Mitchell). He introduces his hometown of Cranberry, New York, a suburb of Rochester, showing its Main Street, stores, banks, a bowling alley, and Wally’s “New York’s oldest tiki hut” restaurant where he spend most nights at Happy Hour drinking two-for-one Mai-Tais at with his best friend Bert (Shane Taylor).

Kenneth (DeShawn Harold Mitchell) with Bert (Shane Taylor)

Kenneth’s entire life takes place within the confines of this town. He grew up there as an only child. When Kenneth was 10, his mother died, leaving him alone, and he was sent to an orphanage. They found him a job at the local bookstore when he aged out of the system. Kenneth worked there for 20 years until his boss, Sam (Peter Bisgaier), sold the store to a developer, forcing Kenneth to deal with life on his own.

Kenneth was a loner, afraid to trust others. His only friend, Bert, is imaginary, an illusion, based on the social worker who cared for him after his mother had died. But Kenneth was betrayed when ‘the-real-Bert’ failed to visit him at the orphanage. He created ‘imaginary-Bert’ as his confidant, someone he could always rely on. Bert became his only friend. They went to Happy Hour at Wally’s together, where waiters assumed Kenneth was taking to himself because he was drunk.

One Friend

Primary Trust is a light drama, which deals with the need for friendship, as Corrina (Lilian Oben), a new waitress, explains, ‘You only need one. Of anything in life. One friend. One dollar. One shoe will even get you through.” Corrina has her own issues, including anxiety and apologizing too much. Despite outward appearances, everyone has issues, including Sam, who needs to sell the bookstore and move to Phoenix for medical care.

These human frailties make the show relatable, drawing the audience in. We empathize with Kenneth, who has doubts about his ability to find a new job because he has never done so before.

Kenneth (DeShawn Harold Mitchell) with Corrina (Lilian Oben)

A Message of Hope

Everything changed when Corrina sat and spoke with Kenneth. She shared her story, explaining that jobs are hard to find, which was why she was working at Wally’s. They became platonic friends. She encourages him to apply for a job at the bank, Primary Trust, where he thrives. Kenneth slowly turns his life around with encouragement from Carrina and his new boss, who has a brother with similar challenges. Eventually, Bert stops appearing.

A simple bell is used to indicate the passage of time. It was gratifying that change happened gradually. Slowly, Kenneth gained confidence and learned to trust himself. When he interviewed for the job, Bert was at his side, telling him what to say. At the bank, he was able to work independently and connect with Bert at Happy Hour. Then one day, Kenneth skipped Happy Hour at Wally’s to go for drinks with Carrina. This led to a separation from Bert, who claimed to have spent the evening with his family and then stopped showing up completely.

Kenneth learned to adapt. By sharing his past with Carrina, he was able to go beyond his childhood trauma and loss.

Creating an imaginary friend was a defense mechanism that supported him in the orphanage and sheltered him from disappointment. But it prevented him from connecting with others. Once he let other people in, he began to envision a future.

Kenneth (DeShawn Harold Mitchell) with Corrina (Lilian Oben)

Great Performance

A big part of the success of this performance goes to the extraordinarily talented supporting actors, Peter Bisgaler and Lilian Oben, each transforming into caricatures of the many people shaping Kenneth’s life. They are the glue that keeps the fluidity of the performance, they are relatable while making us laugh, and keeping the show light and airy.

The show ends with Kenneth, alone on stage, introducing the audience to his hometown, but this time he accepts the inevitability of change. Wally’s has stopped serving Mai Tais, and the town would be developed, but Kenneth would be part of the transformation.

Two Sues on the Aisle bases its ratings on how many challahs (1-5) it pays to buy (rather than make) to see the play, show, film, book, or exhibit being reviewed.

Primary Trust received 3 Challahs

Running Time: 90 minutes without intermission

Three Challah Rating