By SHARON EBERSON
Countless headlines warn that there is a loneliness epidemic in America. The isolation of individuals may be spurred by remote work and political discord, among a host of factors, and the solution may just be onstage at the O’Reilly Theater.
Pittsburgh Public Theater’s heartwarming production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Primary Trust illustrates how far simple acts of kindness and empathy can go in uplifting spirits, and perhaps, changing lives forever, for the better.
Directed by Kyle Haden, a quartet of Pittsburgh’s most accomplished performers — Monteze Freeland, Malic Maat, Bria Walker-Rhoze and Sam Turich, the latter two in multiple roles — are so darn likable and engaging in their roles, the play feels like a warm embrace of hope for all of its 90 minutes.
When the going gets tough, and tougher still for protagonist Kenneth, the embrace grabs you tighter, and doesn’t let go. The lasting impact of Primary Trust is how helpers reveal themselves to Kenneth, a 38-year-old with a horrific backstory, nearly lost in a quicksand of grief, loss and Mai Tai-soaked nights.
The multihyphenate theater artist Monteze Freeland imbues Kenneth with such affability and vulnerability, you can’t help but root for him. He also comes with a sidekick and delightful coping mechanism — his imaginary BFF, Bert. As personified by Malic Maat, Bert is the ideal pal. A charming confidence-booster, he steadies Kenneth through the often choppy waters of life.
If the scenario recalls the 1945 Pulitzer-winning comedy Harvey, in which the title character was an imaginary 6-foot-tall rabbit, that is as far as the resemblance to Eboni Booth’s 2023 play goes. Kenneth’s ties to Bert go deeper, darker, and are revealed in wrenching detail.
An orphan since age 10, Kenneth is a Black man in mostly white Cranberry, N.Y., population 15,000, with the motto: Welcome friend. You’re right on time! He and Bert “meet” nightly at a watering hole called Wally’s, where Kenneth drinks Mai Tais — lots and lots of Mai Tais (if the play has a failing, it is that it never addresses how much alcohol is consumed) — as the Kenneth-Bert/Freeland-Maat bromance evolves and shines.
The story unfolds apace, with Freeland commanding the stage as narrator and lightning rod. His Kenneth is at once warm and funny, then subject to bouts of anger and depression, with Bert helping him to keep his head above water.
At Wally’s, drinks and bar food are served by an assortment of waiters, all delightfully realized by Bria Walker-Rhoze, whose quick-change characters are pure gold.
Wally’s is both sanctuary and part of Kenneth’s routine existence, which includes working in a dusty bookstore for 20 years. Suddenly, he is thrown a huge curve, when the owner (Sam Turich, a gruff but understanding boss) announces he has sold the store and is moving to Arizona.
With the loss of his job and the routine that sustains him, time does not seem to be on Kenneth’s side. He is adrift, until Corrina (Rohze-Walker) spots him alone at his usual table at Wally’s. New to her job as a server, she takes the time to draw out Kenneth, and shares that she has overheard that there are openings at a local bank.
(Image: Maranie R. Staab)
Kenneth’s mother had worked at a bank, so this seems like a perfect match. With Bert’s ample help, and an unexpectedly kind-hearted bank director — Turich again, in full former jock mode. The banker recognizes Kenneth’s potential and his mental health issues, and hires him. The win sends Kenneth’s spirits soaring, and he begins to emerge from his shell.
I am trying to think of the last time “kind-hearted” was used as an adjective to describe a fictional banker, but memory finds none. In any case, there are no villains in Primary Trust, aside from the memories of separation and loss that haunt Kenneth, and have given rise to the coping mechanism that is Bert.
All at once, Kenneth has a job that requires him to be a “people person,” and bring out his inner Bert, while new-found, flesh-and-blood friends have unexpected benefits and consequences in the walled-off life he had so carefully constructed for himself.
The production design by Antonio Troy, a Carnegie Mellon alum with award-winning credits on stage and screen, and lighting designer Bryan Ealey is evocative and unfussy, with atmospheric buildings hovering and suggesting boundaries, the lights in their windows brightening and dimming as moods swing and times change.
Primary Trust, about a former bookstore employee starting a new chapter, arrives at just the right time for Pittsburgh Public Theater, as it embarks on a next phase: Starting in January of 2027, an as yet undecided new model will combine the Public with 80-year-old Pittsburgh CLO.
I could not view the night, or the play, without the future uppermost in my mind. How fitting that the season 51 finale, and perhaps the last opening night for an entity called Pittsburgh Public Theater, is not only about looking for the helpers, as Mister Rogers has told us to do in troubled times, but, also, about finding them.
(Image: Maranie Staab)
PITTSBURGH PUBLIC THEATER BOOK LAUNCH
As a reminder of the past and the Public’s next chapter, Aja Jones, the company’s Chief of External Affairs and a steadfast presence for her work with Pittsburgh CLO and the Public for the past 25 years, came to the O’Reilly stage, post-show, to officially introduce the history book Turning the Page: 50 Years of Pittsburgh Public Theater. The book launch and fundraiser will take place at the O’Reilly Theater on May 7, “celebrating five decades of artistic excellence and community impact.” The VIP Package is $1,250, including two event tickets, the 50th anniversary commemorative book, and a VIP reception; individual tickets are $250.
TICKETS AND INFORMATION
Pittsburgh Public Theater’s production of Primary Trust is at the O’Reilly Theater, Downtown, through April 12, 2026. Tickets: Visit https://ppt.org/production/100484/primary-trust or call 412-316-1600. Note: The Public has added three parking options: $95 Curbside Valet (premium close‑access parking with concierge perks); $70 Valet + Shuttle Service (curbside convenience with an easy shuttle run); and $45 Self-Park + Shuttle Service. Advanced reservation required at bit.ly/PPTValet.
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