The Guthrie Theater’s current production of “Primary Trust” features Bryce Michael Wood, making his Guthrie debut as Keneth. The play is a quiet yet profoundly affecting story about finding trust and forging human connection after a major life change (read our full review here). Wood’s commitment to performing on this landmark stage was absolute, having declared it the only regional theater he would consider leaving New York for.
During his time here, he has completely embraced the best of Minnesota: appreciating the genuine, welcoming Midwestern demeanor he missed, falling for our gung-ho sports culture, and quickly discovering the award-winning brilliance of our very own Lost Woods Whiskey. Join us as we discuss finding authenticity both in a challenging role and in our own beloved Twin Cities.
Photo by Leslie Hassler
Q: “Primary Trust” marks your debut at the Guthrie Theater, a landmark of American regional theater. What does performing on that stage mean to you personally?
BRYCE MICHAEL WOOD (BMW): It is an enormous personal milestone. It’s funny, I was actually telling my wife maybe three years ago, that the Guthrie was the only regional theater I would consider leaving the city for. To have this opportunity materialize just a couple of years later feels incredibly significant. Performing on this stage is a huge deal, a true honor.
Q: How are you finding Minnesota audiences?
BMW: They are great! They’re very involved, which I appreciate. With our show breaking the fourth wall, the audience has the challenge of essentially becoming our fifth cast member. The fact that they are so accepting and engaged with that responsibility has been wonderful. It has made the experience really good.
Q: In regards to this show, what is that one moment every night that you just can’t wait to perform, or for the audience to experience in Primary Trust?
BMW: I look forward to the very beginning, literally the very first few seconds of the show. I have to time out my walk down, and then there is that essential first touchpoint with the audience, my first line. That moment is what I anticipate the most.
In those first three seconds, I learn so much about who I am speaking to that day, which ultimately dictates how the rest of the performance will unfold. Once that connection is established, it’s just kind of off to the races, but I truly look forward to saying that first line and seeing who I’m talking to today.
Photo by Dan Norman
Q: I know you’re not drinking them on stage, but do you like a Mai Tai? Have you found good whiskey in Minnesota?
BMW: Mai Tais are fine, but I’m definitely more of a whiskey man myself, an Old Fashioned kind of guy. They’re sweet, so they are good, but I’m not obsessed the way Kenneth is obsessed in the show.
Q: Have you found good whiskey in Minnesota?
BMW: I have! I actually have a bottle right now. I was with my wife recently, and she encouraged me to pick up something local. I was looking, and she said, “Well, you should definitely get something from here,” and I agreed.
[Jerrod: Did you know the most-awarded single malt whiskey in the country is from Minnesota? It’s Lost Woods Whiskey.]
That’s it! That is absolutely what I have. Oh man, you know him? You tell him that I say it is so good. It is so, so good.
Q: What’s been the most exciting or unexpected discovery you’ve had in the Twin Cities besides good whiskey?
BMW: Honestly, it’s everyone’s demeanor. Everyone here is just so genuinely welcoming in a Midwestern way that I really missed in my life. I went to undergrad in the Midwest, but then I spent eight years in New York City.
I miss “good mornings,” I miss “How are yous.” I miss making eye contact with someone on the street who actually speaks and is just generally pleasant. I’ve experienced that here. As far as manners and simply being decent people are concerned, I haven’t experienced anything negative here. I really like that.
Q: Why should people see “Primary Trust”?
BMW: People should see “Primary Trust” for the opportunity to live moment to moment with the play. Eboni Booth, the playwright, writes the play you need, not the one you expect. That makes for a very different theatergoing experience; it keeps you completely engaged in the present.
You’ll have a chance to feel, not just witness, the story, and truly be a part of it. The final reason I’ll share is that you will feel seen. I hear it constantly in the talkbacks, people say, “I saw myself,” or “I saw my brother or sister” in these characters. It’s certainly a mirror, and that ability to see your own life reflected on stage is incredibly powerful.
Q: Minnesota Monthly is dedicated to the spirit of Minnesota. What have you found to be the spirit of Minnesota while you’ve been here?
BMW: The easy, quick answer is sports. Oh my gosh, this is a sports town, and I absolutely love it! I’m a sports guy, and I haven’t felt this kind of collective energy since undergrad. It’s a space where everyone wears their team’s gear, and people are always talking about the game; it’s everywhere. In New York, because everyone is from somewhere else, you have a million teams represented. Here, it’s gung-ho for every single Minnesota sport, all the time. There’s probably a more poetic answer to that, but my immediate response is: sports town, and I love it.
