Bug is a play by American playwright Tracy Letts. Exploring themes of paranoia and conspiracy theories, the play tells the story of a woman who, as she spends time with a newly acquainted man in her motel room, starts sharing more and more of his paranoias. It premiered in London 1996, and was also performed around the United States between 2000 and 2004.
| Bug | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Written by | Tracy Letts |
| Characters | Peter Evans Agnes White Jerry Goss Dr. Sweet R.C. Pizza Harris |
| Date premiered | 20 September 1996 |
| Place premiered | London, England |
| Original language | English |
| Subject | |
| Genre | Black comedy |
| Setting | Oklahoma, USA |
The play was adapted into a film of the same name directed by William Friedkin in 2006, with Letts writing the screenplay and Michael Shannon, who had played the male lead role of Peter in the original London production and in some American versions, reprising his role.
Synopsis
editMost of the play takes place in a seedy motel room. Lonely cocktail waitress Agnes lives there, hiding from her violent ex-husband Jerry Goss, an ex-con. One night, her lesbian biker friend R.C. introduces her to Peter, a Gulf War veteran who might be AWOL. She gets involved with Peter, who grows increasingly paranoid about the war in Iraq, UFOs, the Oklahoma City bombing of the federal building, cult suicides, and secret government experiments on soldiers. He eventually draws Agnes into his delusions. The play explores issues of love, paranoia, conspiracy theories, and Agnes's slow descent into insanity under Peter's influence.
Production history
editLondon premiere
editThe play originally premiered at the Gate Theatre in Notting Hill, London, on September 20, 1996.[1] The rehearsals were at A Red Orchid Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.[2]
- Shannon Cochran - Agnes White
- Michael Shannon - Peter Evans
American premieres
editFollowing its London run, the play made its U.S. debut at Ithaca, New York, followed by the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, D.C.
In Washington, DC, the play underwent a series of revisions and received an American premiere at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in March/April 2000.[3]
- Opening Date: March 18, 2000
- Closing Date: April 16, 2000
- Director: Wilson Milam
- Deborah Hazlett - Agnes
- Eric Sutton - Peter
- Steve Schmidt- Jerry
- Kate Eastwood Norris - R.C.
- Brian Hemmingsen - Dr. Sweet
The play's Chicago Premiere was at A Red Orchid Theatre, where the play first rehearsed prior to its world premiere in London.[2]
- Opening Date: August 20, 2001
- Closing Date: October 28, 2001
- Director: Dexter Bullard
- Kate Buddeke - Agnes
- Michael Shannon - Peter
- Guy Van Swearingen III - Jerry
- Robin Witt - R.C.
- Troy West - Dr. Sweet
Off-Broadway
edit- Barrow Street Theatre, New York City, New York[4]
- Opening Date: February 29, 2004
- Closing Date: January 30, 2005
- Director: Dexter Bullard
- Shannon Cochran - Agnes
- Michael Shannon - Peter
- Michael Cullen - Jerry
- Amy Landecker - R.C.
- Reed Birney - Dr. Sweet
Amanda Plummer resigned from the Off-Broadway premiere 24 hours before its February 21 start date.[5] A notice in the theater box office warned that the show contained nudity, violence and cigarette smoking.[6]
Australia
editThe play premiered at The SBW Stables Theatre in Kings Cross, Sydney, in May 2010, as part of Griffin Theatre Company's Independent Season 2010, in conjunction with Picture This Productions.
- Opening Date: 12 May 2010
- Closing Date: 5 June 2010
- Director: Anthony Skuse
- Jeanette Cronin - Agnes
- Matthew Walker - Peter
- Jonny Pasvolsky - Jerry
- Catherine Terracini - R.C.
- Laurence Coy - Dr. Sweet
Film adaptation
editA film version of the play was released in 2006 from Lionsgate. It was directed by William Friedkin, and starred Ashley Judd, Harry Connick, Jr and Michael Shannon. Friedkin contacted Tracy Letts after having seen the play, and they cooperated on a screen adaptation. Friedkin described the film as "the most intense piece of work I've ever done".[7] Michael Shannon had played the part on stage. Lionsgate wanted to cast an actor with more name recognition, but Friedkin was determined to have Shannon perform in the film, saying he brought a unique quality to the part.
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Lucille Lortel Awards | Outstanding Play | Won | |
| Outstanding Director | Dexter Bullard | Won | ||
| Outstanding Lighting Design | Tyler Micoleau | Won | ||
| Outstanding Sound Design | Brian Ronan | Won | ||
| Obie Awards | Best New American Play | Bug | Won | |
| Outstanding Performance | The acting company of Bug - Shannon Cochran, Michael Shannon, Michael Cullen, Amy Landecker, Reed Birney | Won | ||
| Outstanding Design Team | The design team of Bug - Lauren Helpern (sets), Tyler Micoleau (lights), Brian Ronan (sound), Kim Gill (costumes), Faye Armon (props) | Won | ||
| Theatre World Award | Shannon Cochran | Won | ||
| Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Play | Shannon Cochran | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Director of a Play | Dexter Bullard | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Sound Designer | Brian Ronan | Nominated | ||
References
edit- ^ Financial Times: "Bug, Gate Theatre, London W11, Opened 20 September, 1996" Archived 2007-10-12 at the Wayback Machine (review by Ian Shuttleworth)
- ^ a b PerformInk.com: "Bug, Killer Joe's Dysfunctional Relation, Makes its Midwest Debut at A Red Orchid", by Lucia Mauro Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company | Performances". Archived from the original on 2009-06-09. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
- ^ Talkingbroadway.com Bug Archived 2006-12-30 at the Wayback Machine (review by Matthew Murray)
- ^ About: Theater (Feb. 24, 2004): "Bug Out", by Maria Knapp Archived May 18, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Newyorkcool.com: Bug Archived 2006-11-23 at the Wayback Machine (review by Wendy R. Williams)
- ^ "National Public Radio". NPR. Archived from the original on 2018-08-12. Retrieved 2018-04-01.
Further reading
edit- Letts, Tracy (2006). Bug: A Play. Evanston, Illinois: Northwestern University Press. p. 93 p. ISBN 0-8101-2348-7.