Marshall Jones III on Directing Primary Trust at Guthrie Theater
Tuesday, October 14, 2025 at 9:30AMArticle by Becky Fillinger, photo provided
Marshall Jones III is directing the Guthrie production of Primary Trust, on stage now through November 16. Primary Trust was written by American playwright Eboni Booth and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2024. Professor Jones is thrilled to be directing for the first time at the Guthrie – check out what he has to say about our magnificent local theater, the talent involved in the show, and why the play is important today. Get tickets here.
Marshall Jones IIIQ: What does making your directorial debut at the Guthrie mean to you at this point in your career?
A: This means a lot. The Guthrie is the epitome of the regional theater model. I'm humbled and honored to work here.
Q: What drew you to Primary Trust, and what do you think makes it such a powerful story for today’s audiences?
A: This play is about discovering the power of friendship. We're told you only need 1 best friend, and I interpret that as having 1 friend that you primarily trust.
Q: How has your experience leading major venues like the Apollo Theater, Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden shaped your approach to directing?
A: Wow, great question. I was producing at those venues, but I got to observe great theater directors - Susan Stroman, Robert (Bobby) Longbottom, Mike Ockrent, and the TV side people like Kenneth Ehrlich and Stan Lathan (Sanaa's pop). I also observed directors who refused to engage in promoting the show, so I developed strong opinions about that school of thought. Our job as directors is to bring the script to three-dimensional life in a compelling fashion in order to impact the audience. Well, if you have to wake up at the crack of dawn to do the TV morning show interview, then the reach of your impact increases. To me, that's a part of the director's job.
Q: What conversations or choices have been most important in shaping this production with your cast and creative team?
A: Another great question. Let's start with the Creative Team. I knew instantly I wanted Lindsay Jones, the Tony nominated composer/sound designer. There's no doubt Lindsay will create transitional music and underscoring that will greatly elevate the storytelling. He and I have done several shows together, so he gets me. When Joe Haj reached out about directing here, I was directing LADY DAY in Naples, Florida and we were in tech. Our lighting designer was Jason Lynch, who fortunately has worked at the Guthrie before. So, right at the start, we have half our Creative Team. Then working with the Guthrie's most capable line producer, Addie Gorlin-Han, we landed on 2 outstanding designers - Sara Ryung Clement and An-Lin Dauber. Sara is just an insightful visionary designer where her vision drives the story. An-Lin designed the show before but as a set designer. She's doing costumes for us and her familiarity with the story and characters has been helpful. With the cast, I was so impressed with the quality level of talent already here in the Twin Cities. We went to NYC to cast our lead, yet the chemistry between all four cast members is off the charts. I'm very pleased.
Catch Primary Trust at the Guthrie now thru November 16
Q: What do you hope Guthrie audiences will carry with them after seeing Primary Trust?
A: I hope they experience a truly intimate story in the McGuire Proscenium where they discover the power of friendship through the seemingly simple journey of Kenneth.
Q: What excites you most about working with Minneapolis artists and audiences?
A: First of all, it's incredibly wonderful to have everything you need - I mean EVERYTHING - all under one roof. You walk through the halls (when I'm not getting lost) and you'll see the craftspeople who are building sets, costumes and props. Typically, in theaters around the country the shops are in totally separate facilities and many times they are separate entities. Then you jump in the elevator (while hoping you don't get lost) and you visit the Marketing, Community Engagement and Development departments. That is such a great feeling when you're bringing a show to life. As for the talent in the community - wow! I've been fortunate to see 4 shows here in the last few months. I heard so much positive news about CABARET, I booked a cheap July 4th flight to see it. The work is outstanding - just as good as the “Great White Way.” Now, a lot of regional theaters like to say that, and I'm sure they believe that, but it's not necessarily so. The work here is outstanding. As Joe Haj says when you work here, "Bring your A game,” and frankly, I don't know how NOT to bring my A-game, so I feel good.
Q: How may we follow your news and encourage you to return to Minneapolis for other projects?
A: Oh, jeez. I can hear my youngest daughter – “Daddy you need a website.” Um, I'm more on Facebook than Instagram. As a professor who has been teaching the next generation of artists since 2002, Facebook is great to keep up with my former students. So, check out my Facebook. I am an independent director so it's great to travel to other communities to bring stories to life. I served on the Theatre Communications Group (TCG) Board with both Sarah Bellamy and Mark Valdez so it's so pleasing to see the great work that both of them are doing.
