Review: Bug (Redtwist Theatre Chicago)

Now extended through August 7th!

Paranoia runs deep in ‘Bug’

Reviewed by Keith Ecker

You don’t need a theatre critic to tell you that Tracy Letts is a Chicago treasure. The prolific playwright and actor is one of the few local talents whose name is instantly recognized outside the city limits. Much of his reputation was built after he deservedly won a Tony and Pulitzer Prize for August: Osage County . His earlier works serve as under-polished precursors to this contemporary classic. Although they may fall short of the dramatic heights and depths achieved in August: Osage County, they still retain all those identifiable markings of a Letts play: southern settings, sinister characters and dark comedy.

Originally written in 1996, Bug was Letts’ second play to pen (the first being the critically acclaimed Killer Joe). True to Letts’ style, the entire piece takes place in a cheap Oklahoma motel room (think wood paneling, fluorescent-lit bathrooms and tacky generic wall art). It is here that we meet the room’s perpetual resident Agnes (a committed Jacqueline Grandt). Agnes is a woman on the verge of a breakdown. Her gravelly voice is an indication of her devotion to nicotine; her frazzled hair and shabby clothes denote her world-weariness; her cocaine habit reflects the bottomless void she so desperately desires to fill.

Enter Peter (Andrew Jessop), a fresh-faced stranger who is dropped off at the motel room by Agnes’ friend R.C. (KC Karen Hill ). Peter’s quiet voice and boyish looks are disarming, which soon put Agnes at ease. In fact, she is so at ease with Peter that it doesn’t take long for her to jump into bed with him.

Shortly after they consummate their relationship, things begin to go awry. Peter discovers a bug in their bed, an aphid to be exact. This initiates Peter’s steady decent into a conspiracy-theory madness that involves the U.S. government, a team of doctors and mind-controlling insects. Meanwhile, Agnes remains by his side, digging out burrowing bugs from her skin and shunning her friends who refuse to believe her.

Redtwist Theatre is behind this production of Bug. And for the most part it scores big with its down-and-out, gritty tone and steady pacing. Grandt’s acting chops really shine through as she completely embodies her pitiful character. As Agnes, Grandt teeters between a strong-headed woman and a fragile loner, the former merely serving as a mask for the latter. This makes her relationship with the deranged Peter all the more believable, even when the script ventures into its darkest moments. Meanwhile, Jessop portrays Peter with a fair amount of restraint. He purposefully plays low key when the character is first introduced, a smart move when you’re expected to continue to crank up the intensity-dial as the play moves along.

One performance that could be stronger is Tommy Lee Johnston‘s portrayal of Jerry Goss, Agnes’ possessive and intimidating ex-lover. Johnston lacks the fierce energy the role requires. For instance, when Jerry raises a hand to Agnes, Johnston appears to hold back emotionally, denying the scene of a certain genuineness. This is critical to the play, as Goss’ inhumanity toward Agnes is meant to further rationalize her blind devotion to Peter.

Directors Kimberly Senior and Jack Magaw deserve some of the credit for the play’s even-handed pacing. However, they also are partially to blame for its comedic misfires. True, Letts’ brand of dark comedy can be difficult for an audience to pick up on, usually because it’s really dark. After all, how many people would laugh at a woman getting forcefully sodomized by a chicken wing as seen in Killer Joe? But if put into the proper context, if given the proper subtle cues, these scenes can be funny. And unfortunately, Senior and Macgaw miss this mark, directing Bug with too much gravity. True, funny one-line zingers hit, but the progress of Peter and Agnes’ ridiculous unraveling does not. To Senior and Macgaw’s defense, it’s a tough task to balance being true to the moment and indicating that the moment, despite being horrific, is also funny.

Though Redtwist’s staging of Bug fails to thrill and delight to the level of other productions of Letts’ work, it’s still a very entertaining piece of theatre. Grandt’s electric performance alone is worth the ticket price. If you’re a fan of the darker side of theatre, you’ll enjoy Bug.

Redtwist Theatre’s Bug, by Tracy Letts, continues through June 26 August 7th, with performances Thursday-Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 3pm.  Tickets range from $20-$30, and can be purchased by phone (773-728-7529), by e-mail (reserve@redtwist.org) or online HERE.  Redtwist Theatreis located at 1044 W. Bryn Mawr in Chicago (map).  Bug runs approximately 2 hours, which includes one intermission, and is meant for mature audiences.  More information at redtwist.org.