Tracy Letts' Bug makes its long-awaited Broadway debut in a revival from Manhattan Theatre Club, bringing the playwright's early psychological thriller to a new stage. First premiering in 1996, the play centers on Agnes, a lonely Oklahoma waitress whose life becomes entangled with Peter, a drifter and Gulf War veteran whose growing paranoia begins to reshape their shared reality. As their relationship intensifies, Peter's conviction that he is the target of a vast government conspiracy pulls them both into an increasingly unstable world.

Host Andrew Cole is joined by guest co-host Sean Reilly to break down this unsettling descent into shared delusion, exploring the performances, staging, and design choices that bring Letts' work to life for its first Broadway run. Led by Carrie Coon as Agnes and Namir Smallwood as Peter, the production blends intimate character study with mounting psychological tension, raising questions about trust, trauma, and belief.

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CHAPTERS

0:00 - Intro / Welcome Sean Reilly
9:48 - Setting the Stage
11:43 - Hot Takes
27:20 - Big Feels
42:20 - Should You See It?
44:50 - Outro

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SEE BUG

Get Tickets: https://www.manhattantheatreclub.com/shows/2025-26-season/bug/

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GUEST HOST LOVE

Follow Sean on IG: https://www.instagram.com/stufffromsean/

Check out Sean's Scholarship Initiative (and help spread the word!): https://afs.org/global-stem/

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