Eboni Booth Casts Light on Black Invisibility

by Mary Lou Herlihy 

Crafty Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Eboni Booth humorously examines U.S. values that place profit over people. In the “mostly white” and seemingly idyllic suburb of Cranberry, outside Rochester N.Y., life feels precarious for a young black man with no family.

With creeping gentrification and encroaching development—driven by greed— life is rough for the vulnerable. Booth tells an intriguing story about Kenny (magnetic William Thomas Hodgson), who falls through the cracks of a failed support system.

Hodgson delicately conveys Kenny’s shyness as he takes us on a “tour” of Cranberry. A gigantic playful Google map spills off the stage as Kenny points out bars, banks, and the bookstore where he’s worked for the past twenty years. Only later do we learn about other places not shown on the map, the orphanage, and Kenny’s foster homes. At 18, he ‘aged out’ of foster care. Social Services found him a job at “Yellowed Pages” bookstore where we find Kenny, twenty years later, unchanged.

Kenny speaks directly to us—a lot. He charmingly confesses his loneliness; but too much one-sided conversation has me craving more dramatic exchanges. When he meets with potential employer Clay (hilarious Dan Hiatt), Kenny’s palpable discomfort makes us squirm. We fear he might ‘blow it,’ but Clay’s playful manner puts everyone at ease. Reassuringly, some people care about a lonely man with no prospects.

But Kenny has a lot to hide. He drinks Mai Tais every night at a Tiki Bar until he can barely walk home. He talks mostly to Bert (vibrant, upbeat Kenny Scott), who is Kenny’s drinking buddy, cheerleader, and ONLY friend. After repeated scenes of drinking, we learn a shocking secret about Bert.

Bert, portrayed with geniality and genius, appears in Kenny’s life during a time of desperate need. Nearly thirty years ago, Bert shared love and support when all seemed lost. Bert shows Kenny compassion in a world without trust. Their deep connection provides Kenny’s only lifeline.

An abrupt change presents opportunities. At Bert’s endless urging and coaching, Kenny accepts a job as a bank teller. Hilarity ensues. We hold our breath as Kenny learns what it takes to succeed.

Laughs come frequently, mostly through quick and hysterical character changes of Rolanda D. Bell. Her lovely portrayal of the sensitive waitress Corinna shows compassion and acceptance of Kenny’s eccentricities. As Jonathan Erman plays melancholic music at the piano bar and the martinis flow, Kenny’s heartbreaking story comes spilling out, helter-skelter.

The show leans heavily on several repetitive devices: frequent blackouts and loud “DINGS” from a service bell, indicating time shifts and the tyranny of time. Incessant and annoying, like iPhone notifications—it reminds Kenny, and us, of the constant pressure to keep up.

As Kenny learns to trust himself and others, he gains a new ‘family’ in the Primary Trust Bank. But can we trust Kenny’s future to such a fickle and profit driven institution? There’s plenty to think about in this award winning play from a gifted young playwright.

“Primary Trust” by Eboni Booth, directed by Jeffrey Lo, scenic design by Christopher Fitzer, costumes by Becky Bodurtha, lighting by Steven B. Mannshardt, sound by Gregory Robinson, at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Palo Alto, California.

Info: theatreworks.org – to March 29, 2026.

Cast: William Thomas Hodgson, Kenny Scott, Rolanda D. Bell, and Dan Hiatt.