BUG Previews

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 12/15/25 at 12:00am

After a well-received 2020 staging at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the cult classic Bug makes its way to New York for its Broadway premiere. The cast of Tracy Letts’s gripping thriller includes Carrie Coon, Namir Smallwood, Randall Arney, Jennifer Engstrom, and Steve Key; David Cromer directs. Previews begin tomorrow (December 16) before a January 8 opening at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre; Bug runs until February 8.

“From Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tracy Letts and Tony Award-winning director David Cromer comes the Broadway premiere of Steppenwolf’s acclaimed staging of a cult classic about an unexpected and intense romance between a lonely waitress and a mysterious drifter. What begins as a simple connection between two broken people in a seedy Oklahoma motel room twists into something far more dangerous. When reality slips out of grasp, paranoia, delusion, and conspiracy take over in this sexy psychological thriller.”

Who’s going?

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 12/15/25 at 9:20pm

Anyone seeing this tomorrow night? I'll be there for one, and I'd love to meet some of the old-reliable posters in person... PM me

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 12/16/25 at 11:29am

Does anyone have the discount code for this? I got one in the mail for 20% off or something, but I can't find it. Thanks in advance.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 12/16/25 at 11:34am

BUGMAIL

[tthomas76]

Posted: 12/16/25 at 12:33pm

BUGFF is up to 30% during previews.  I got an email.  

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 12/16/25 at 2:45pm

MTC's website lists a 1:55 runtime, including a 15-minute intermission. 

Also, all cell phones will be locked in Yondr pouches at each performance due to moments of full frontal nudity in the play. 

Updated On: 12/16/25 at 02:45 PM

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 12/16/25 at 9:35pm

Start time was 7:09 today with a 9:11 blackout.

That was absolutely BIZARRE and quite honestly felt like I was on drugs too.

I will say the second act gets better and Smallwood nails the descent into madness — otherwise, skip this one. 

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 12/16/25 at 10:20pm

Was there tonight.  Show ran about 2:15, but that was with a prolonged intermission.  No doubts it will be right around 2 hours by the time it opens.

Overall, was an excellent production.  With how much acting he's done lately, it's easy to forget just how brilliant of a playwright Tracy Letts is.  Carrie Coon is phenomenal as always, and in a world where Lesley Manville didn't exist, would be the frontrunner for the Tony.  Two minor complaints that include some spoilers:

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

1) Smallwood gave a solid performance, but it was missing the heightened sense of danger that you got from Michael Shannon.  A lot of the suspense was missing from Act One because I never once believed he could possibly be there to harm Agnes.  He made some fine choices with the character and the arc was certainly there, but I just wish he had come off a little creepier rather than just a kind of strange loner.

2) They really need to find a way to drop a curtain during intermission.  Part of what makes the act break in this play so effective is the complete escalation of their descent into madness during it (as shown by all the changes they make to the motel room).  But by watching the crew make all those changes during intermission, it misses that punch of seeing it when the lights come up at the start of Act Two.

But all in all, a very solid production that will certainly get even tighter throughout previews.

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 12/17/25 at 1:36am

Particularly interested in hearing from folks who saw the Barrow Street production and how it compares more than 20 years later. the play’s the play and I’m curious to hear how this production compares to other high profile ones and that not-so-great film. I’m just not sold yet on seeing another production of Bug.

[MadsonMelo]

Posted: 12/17/25 at 8:28am

I'm still speechless that this will last 1 month, it's ludicrous

[AC126748]

Posted: 12/17/25 at 10:19am

MadsonMelo said: "I'm still speechless that this will last 1 month, it's ludicrous"

Huh? It's a limited engagement produced by a non-profit theater, starring an actress associated with two huge prestige television franchises. It'll last the length of its scheduled run.

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 12/17/25 at 10:48am

I saw this a million years ago off-broadway and at Steppenwolf twice (both before the pandemic and after).

I liked this production a lot. It felt like it centered Agnes in a way that I did not feel the original did. Then it felt almost like a two-hander, here it feels like Agnes is what everything else revolves around. This was because Coon was so magnificent but also because I felt like Smallwood isn't nearly as alive and mysterious as Shannon was. Smallwood gave a terrific performance that hits all the notes but with very few surprises.

When I first saw this production, I thought this was somewhat disappointing but I've grown to like the way this production made me feel about Agnes. It also felt like it had more heart and pathos where my initial impressions made it feel like a rip-roaring thriller that was maybe a little silly. 20 years or so of insane politics and the mainstreaming of bizarre conspiracy theories may have also made this a bit more relevant. There's an argument to be made that Smallwood's more reserved, smaller performance makes him seem more everyman. While Michael Shannon was extraordinary, I do not believe many people in the audience found him relatable. Since many of us know someone who has fallen down one of the several political conspiracy rabbit holes polluting our country... maybe this version is what we need now. 

[MezzA101]

Posted: 12/19/25 at 2:28pm

Carrie Coon and Tracy Letts Want to Get Under Your Skin

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/theater/carrie-coon-tracy-letts-bug-broadway.html?unlocked_article_code=1.908.8MlF.yXpm2yy0nY2F&smid=nytcore-android-share

[JSquared2]

Posted: 12/19/25 at 2:40pm

I saw this last night, and all I can say is---"Lynne Meadow please come back!!!"

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 12/19/25 at 5:46pm

JSquared2 said: "I saw this last night, and all I can say is---"Lynne Meadow please come back!!!""

This production and its transfer has been several years in the making. Lynne was absolutely a part of this coming in, so not sure the sentiment makes much sense at all and feels reductive towards new leadership navigating the first leadership change in the companies history.

Updated On: 12/19/25 at 05:46 PM

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 12/20/25 at 2:10pm

JSquared2 said: "I saw this last night, and all I can say is---"Lynne Meadow please come back!!!""

Not every piece of theatre has to be for you. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 12/29/25 at 9:33am

I finally saw this last night and needed to marinate. I am so deeply conflicted because this show hits me right in between my work (psych nurse for 10 years) and my passion for theatre. (For context, I know the play’s general premise, but have neither seen a staging, nor the film)

The Good:

- Carrie Coon. She is absolutely doing great work here and you can see her slowly making the fall into the shared psychosis/folie a deux with Namir’s character, undoubtedly abetted by extensive crack use. By the time she reaches the end of the second act and she goes on this flight of ideas that sounds absolutely nonsensical, it clicks that it makes perfect sense *to her* which, in psychosis, it’s important to understand that what seems unreal to the neurotypical world is VERY real to them and should be treated with reassurance that is validating but not affirming.

- Jennifer Engstrom. As the comedic foil, catalyst, and last chance for salvation for Coon’s character, she really is a Swiss Army Knife of a performer in what could be perceived as a thankless role.

The Conflicted:

- Namir Smallwood - While his second act destruction as he fully envelops Coon into his delusions is quite marvelous, he has absolutely no sense of danger or mystery lurking beneath him in the first act, even when the mask begins to slip toward the end of the act. He’s very mild, milquetoast, and seems lost and so I never felt any buildup from him. It’s all very inert. I know Michael Shannon was acclaimed in the role and he has a very inherent ability to make people feel unease from the jump - there needed to be an actor more like him in this role.

- The Psychiatrist Character - I know he comes from a good place, but some of his ethics are extremely questionable (no doubt for dramatization, but I was still bothered), and also his improper use of psychiatric terminology was painfully outdated even by the standards of when the play was written. Describing Namir’s character as “a delusional paranoid with schizophrenic tendencies” felt like nails on a chalkboard since it’s correctly ascribed as “delusional disorder; persecutory type. I’m wondering if alternative language could be crafted where it conveys the essence of Namir’s disorder without using language that, to me, wouldn’t help foster trust.

- The Set - The mid-act two transformation is a wonder to behold and I love the framing that basically creates a claustrophobic environment, but if Cromer can pull that off, why do we need a 15-minute intermission for extensive manual prop placement?

The Bad:

- The Pacing - BLOODY HELL! I have NEVER seen an act break murder any buildup of dramatic tension like this in quite some time. Because of the structure of Act I and it mostly just being stirs and whispers of things to come, I did see a few people walk out at intermission because they were bored. Even by intermission, I was getting a little cross-eyed and the blast of cold air when I went out to use my phone helped slap me back into reality.

The act break is primarily used to set the stage for Act II and so you’re watching stagehands essentially move on a bunch of props. Surely there has to be a more efficient way of doing this without a whole stopdown. It really takes you out of the play and, if you are some people, you may not be bothered to stay around for the explosive ending. For being almost three weeks into previews, I expected far better from Cromer - so this was a MAJOR miss by him.

Overall, I would still recommend it, primarily for Coon and the grand finale (last 20 minutes) alone, but your issue is going to be your resolve in waiting it out. Sidebar: Your tolerance for blood should also factor into your decision because its use is quite realistic in terms of the body horror genre.

[JudyDenmark]

Posted: 12/29/25 at 7:47pm

quizking101 said: “The Good: Carrie Coon.

Sidebar: Your tolerance for blood should also factor into your decision because its use is quite realistic in terms of the body horror genre."

This is my dilemma. I LOVE Carrie Coon, I think she’s such an insanely talented actress, I’m a big Leftovers fan, and I can’t fathom her being in anything on Broadway and me not immediately getting a ticket. But I also looked up the context of the body horror and sadly know that there’s no chance in hell I could ever stomach seeing this. Will have to enjoy her performance vicariously through those of you who are braver than me!

 

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 12/29/25 at 10:01pm

quizking101 said: "The Psychiatrist Character - I know he comes from a good place, but some of his ethics are extremely questionable (no doubt for dramatization, but I was still bothered), and also his improper use of psychiatric terminology was painfully outdated even by the standards of when the play was written. Describing Namir’s character as “a delusional paranoid with schizophrenic tendencies” felt like nails on a chalkboard since it’s correctly ascribed as “delusional disorder; persecutory type. I’m wondering if alternative language could be crafted where it conveys the essence of Namir’s disorder without using language that, to me, wouldn’t help foster trust."

Interesting note about the psychiatrist. Will put this in spoilers just in case, but....

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

I've always interpreted the psychiatrist to not really be realistic. Yes, he's there, and yes, he's there to take Peter away. But I've always interpreted that scene as almost being what Agnes and Peter see rather than what's actually there. Meaning, they're in such a delusional state by that point that they're just envisioning him as this big scary bad guy and therefore that's how he's written and that's what we as the audience see as well. Maybe that's completely wrong, but in that context, it makes sense that his dialogue is very unrealistic for a shrink, because it's what Peter and Agnes are hearing, not what he'd actually say.

 

[quizking101]

Posted: 12/30/25 at 12:17am

JudyDenmark said: "quizking101 said: “The Good:Carrie Coon.

Sidebar: Your tolerance for blood should also factor into your decision because its use is quite realistic in terms of the body horror genre."

This is my dilemma. I LOVE Carrie Coon, I think she’s such an insanely talented actress, I’m a big Leftovers fan, and I can’t fathom her being in anything on Broadway and me not immediately getting a ticket. But I also looked up the context of the body horror and sadly know that there’s no chance in hell I could ever stomach seeing this. Will have to enjoy her performance vicariously through those of you who are braver than me!

"

Maybe give the movie a shot and gauge your response? I know it’s out there in the ether somewhere. Or get a seat far enough away from the stage where the gore isn’t as “in your face” (I was in the very front row).

[quizking101]

Posted: 12/30/25 at 12:25am

Broadway61004 said: "Interesting note about the psychiatrist. Will put this in spoilers just in case, but....

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

I've always interpreted the psychiatrist to not really be realistic. Yes, he's there, and yes, he's there to take Peter away. But I've always interpreted that scene as almost being what Agnes and Peter see rather than what's actually there. Meaning, they're in such a delusional state by that point that they're just envisioning him as this big scary bad guy and therefore that's how he's written and that's what we as the audience see as well. Maybe that's completely wrong, but in that context, it makes sense that his dialogue is very unrealistic for a shrink, because it's what Peter and Agnes are hearing, not what he'd actually say.

"
To your points in the box

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

I think that’s getting maybe a little too interior into their mindsets. I may have landed in the field of the psychiatrist being a real person who, while ethically questionable, also happens to be the last-ditch effort to break Agnes free of her shared psychosis. He smokes the crack pipe as some sort of attempt to build rapport and trust by mirroring behavior because, in folie a deux, she isn’t going to trust anyone aside from who she shares the psychosis with (similar to a cult mentality). Once Peter kills him, that basically seals her into Peter’s shared delusion, hence setting up the blockbuster finale.

 

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 12/30/25 at 11:09am

To be fair:

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

As far as the shrink being real or not, the movie ends with a few post-explosion shots that imply the explosion never happened and that, even though Dr. Sweet is still revealed to be dead on the floor, it’s possible it didn’t happen exactly as we saw it. Given that Letts adapted the play for the screen, he definitely had it in his mind that we should question what we just saw.

I saw this on the 26th and I really struggled with it. Horrible pacing, directionless directing, and (with the exception of Jennifer Engstrom’s live-wire performance) pretty listless performances all around. I was waiting for the tension to ramp up, but Carrie Coon and Namir Smallwood never quite took it there for me. I’m a big fan of the script and of the movie, but this was my first time seeing it live, and I was sadly disappointed.

Updated On: 12/30/25 at 11:09 AM

[raddersons]

Posted: 12/31/25 at 9:36am

Saw this last night after hearing about it for years. Act 1 of this production has virtually no tension whatsoever, to a point where people were laughing at things just to feel something and try to find the tone. I do wish we got at least SOME paranoia and fear in Act 1, or at least some sort of indication that we’re going there. Or at the very least some crackhead energy — for people constantly hitting the pipe, in Act 1 they were… really mellowed out.


Act 2 lets it RIP and while the huge mood shift is welcomed, it does make the whole show feel unbalanced. Some of the laughter continued in Act 2 at oddly inappropriate times, part of which was uncomfortable laughter but part seemed like the audience unable to keep up with that drastic tone shift. 

At 2 hours with an intermission, it doesn’t feel like a huge lift so I’d recommend even if this isn’t the most successful production. 

Updated On: 12/31/25 at 09:36 AM

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 1/4/26 at 6:10pm

Went in blind…it’s the best damn thing on Broadway. 

[George in DC]

Posted: 1/5/26 at 12:02am

I finally went to see this production.  I thought the original off broadway production was so stunning but disturbing so I was disappointed. While I loved Carrie Coon in this, I thought the production, especially the direction and also, sadly, Namir Smallwood were completely underwhelming. I just remember being shaken by Michael Shannons performance and Namir was totally forgettable. I don't recommend this at all.

Updated On: 1/5/26 at 12:02 AM