DeShawn Harold Mitchell and Shane Taylor Photo by Mikki Schaffner

Kenneth (DeShawn Harold Mitchell), the play's narrator and central character, is a 38-year-old man who has failed to grow into mainstream adult life. Mitchell's skillfully tentative delivery reveals this from the outset. Kenneth's mother died when he was 10, and he entered the foster system. At age 18, he found work at Yellowed Pages, a used bookstore. Twenty years have passed, but it's still a time "before smart phones."

Mitchell ably portrays Kenneth's predictable daily routine, work at the store followed by almost daily visits to Wally's, an outdated tiki bar in small-town Cranberry, New York. Every evening he enjoys multiple Mai Tai cocktails and conversations with his singular friend Bert (Shane Taylor).

Early on, in an aside to the audience, Kenneth confesses that Bert is really an imaginary friend, very real to him but someone no one else can see or hear, aside from us in the audience. Kenneth relies on Bert for gentle coaching, personal advice and moral support, behaviors. Taylor plays Bert warmly, occasionally placing a hand reassuringly on Mitchell's shoulder. Wally's customers seem to humor the slightly strange Kenneth who is a nightly fixture, alone in a corner booth, drinking mai tais, and talking to himself.

Kenneth's story begins on a traumatic day. He has just learned that Sam, the bookstore owner, is closing the store and moving to Arizona for health reasons. Kenneth has never had to hunt for work, and he has almost no idea how to go about pursuing a new job. A suggestion in a simple conversation points him in the direction of a new bank in town called Primary Trust, and he lands an entry level position as a teller. He takes it, and somewhat to his surprise, he's good at it.

Numerous characters in Kenneth's limited circle are played by two actors. Lilian Oben inhabits a humorous array of servers at Wally's with great physical and linguistic variety, especially wearing a different wig for each. Once Kenneth starts to work at the bank, she is transformed into a stream of colorful bank customers. Peter Bisgaier pivots through three quickly etched characters: Sam, the gruff but caring bookstore owner (a two-pack-a-day smoker); Clay, the boisterous bank branch manager (who tells Sam that he reminds him of the banker's brain-damaged brother); and an uppity bar tender at a white-tablecloth French restaurant who serves sparkling martinis.

Mitchell is onstage through this entire intermissionless tale. His story is punctuated with numerous musical stings (Melanie Chen Cole is the sound designer). Mitchell pauses, then moves on in Kenneth's thought, rewinding his storytelling or heading in a different direction. This technique is used for his various encounters with servers at Wally's and his bank customers. The play's climax happens when Kenneth explodes at a difficult customer, a surprise but handled believable by Mitchell. His steady narration allows the story to unfold naturally, in the manner that often happens in casual storytelling.

Kenneth is lonely, living mostly in his own head. But it is slowly revealed how Kenneth's perspective is broadening. Admittedly, it's in a small town where there's not a lot to take in. Tony Cisek's scenic design features skeletal Italianate building silhouettes backed by a sky that changes colors to underscore key moments, especially a night sky full of twinkling stars (lighting designer is Peter Maradudin). For specific scenes, elements glide into place–the tiki booth Kenneth frequents with Bert, Clay's manager's desk, a swanky restaurant table, and Kenneth's teller's window–and then disappear by slowly sliding back into the darkness. As the story is told, Kenneth is increasingly called upon to reassess his existence and his friendship with Bert.

One of Oben's characters, Corrina, takes an interest in Kenneth, draws him out, and gives him advice. Clay is a hearty, good-old-boy kind of manager who just barely listens to nervous Kenneth, but who nevertheless encourages his progress toward being a capable employee. Kenneth begins to trust more in himself and others. Playwright Eboni Booth chose the bank's name as her play's title with subtle skill: He is learning to make his own decisions and life choices.

Douglas's directorial fingerprints are all over this production. While Primary Trust's story is both serious and heartfelt, it's told swiftly and with humor. One serious, almost shocking moment is played with such genuine care between Mitchell and Taylor that it helps us understand Kenneth's closed-off demeanor, while at the same time opening the door to a more positive future. Several audience members departed with tear-stained faces, but they were tears of joy and deeper feelings.

While there are many productions of Primary Trust across America this season, I cannot imagine a more affecting one than the well-staged, well-acted rendition we have the chance to appreciate at the Cincinnati Playhouse.

Primary Trust runs through February 23, 2025, at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, 962 Mt. Adams Circle in Eden Park, adjacent to Mt. Adams, Cincinnati OH. For tickets and information, please visit cincyplay.com or call 513-421-3888.