“Primary Trust,” which opened at TheatreSquared this week is a production that won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize. The storyline follows Kenneth, a 36 year old bookstore worker who, according to TheatreSquared, spends most evenings sipping Mai Tais with his best friend at the local tiki bar.

“When he’s suddenly laid off, his world turns upside down in more ways than one,” the website reads. The play was written by Eboni Booth and is directed by vickie washington.

We caught up with Ryan Vincent Anderson, one of the actors of the production, and asked him a few questions about the play and his role in it.

For those who have not seen “Primary Trust” before, would you mind telling me in your own words what this production is about?

The play follows Kenneth, a 36 year old orphan, who has developed ways of coping from trauma in reclusive and unorthodox ways. It’s ultimately a story about friendship, love and new beginnings. It’s a simple story in its essence and yet it holds a universe of commonalities that theatergoers will no doubt connect with and most likely wrestle with days after.

You will be portraying Bert. Explain your character, what you love about him and how he fits into the world of this play.

Bert is Kenneth’s best friend, and only friend. They do everything together. Like everything. You can say Bert’s friendship has in a way saved Kenneth, but I will leave it at that since I don’t want to give away too much.

What is Bert’s own conundrum?

Again I will plead the fifth. But I will say this. If Kenneth isn’t doing well, Bert isn’t doing well. Oooo, what does he mean??

Describe to me one of the most difficult parts in playing him:

I think the most challenging part would also be the most alluring part, which is that Bert’s journey, tied to Kenneth’s journey, reaches high highs and low lows.

With that I’m accessing emotions that I love and also ones that I don’t wish to feel in real life. But again that’s one of the alluring things about the role. An actor can really dive in and live.

What do you hope the audience will notice/not miss when watching? Or what do you hope they take away from seeing Primary Trust?

With any play, I believe audiences always have different experiences and takeaways depending on what they are bringing to the theater that night. That said, I do hope most audiences are able to find themselves within the art and are able to either answer or ask some questions they would have about their own lives.

We come to theater not to be passive but to engage. And I hope that our production of this wonderful play engages the Northwest Arkansas audiences enough that they will tell others to come see us before it’s too late.

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FAQ

“Primary Trust”

WHAT — A 90 minute production with no intermission

WHEN — through Feb. 23, 2025

WHERE — TheatreSquared 477 W. Spring St. Fayetteville

COST — $32- $57

INFO — theatre2.org

GOOD TO KNOW — TheatreSquared recommends you arrive early. For one thing, food and espresso orders from the Commons must be placed at least 30 minutes prior to show time. (Right now they have a limited-time show-themed cocktail and mocktail “Wally’s Winter Mai Tai.”) Not to mention, if you arrive after the start of the show, you’ll have to wait for an appropriate break in the performance to be seated.