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Though Tracy Letts first wrote Bug more than 30 years ago, he believes that, in a country riddled with conspiracy theories, it has found a new relevance in the present moment. The play is now in previews on Broadway, starring Tony Award nominee Carrie Coon.
“I wrote the play originally 30 years ago in response to Timothy McVeigh bombing the federal building. It felt at the time, it was such a kick in the stomach for all Americans, this act of domestic terrorism,” the Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright recalled during a recent visit to The Late Show.
He went on to explain that he began researching conspiracy theories in the 1990s, after noticing them becoming increasingly popular on the Internet during its infancy. In the intermittent years, this trend has only increased in prevalence and prominence.
“When we premiered the play in London in the mid-90s, a lot of the reviews were like, ‘Well, this is a weird, kind of science fiction play…’ It doesn’t feel like science fiction at all anymore. It feels very of the moment.” Check out the full conversation with the playwright now.
Manhattan Theatre Club’s Bug, written by Letts and directed by Tony Award winner David Cromer, is now in previews at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. It officially opens on Thursday, January 8, 2026.
Bug stars three-time Emmy Award nominee and Tony Award nominee Carrie Coon as Agnes White, Namir Smallwood as Peter Evans, Randall Arney as Dr. Sweet, Jennifer Engstrom as R.C., and Steve Key as Jerry Goss.
This production marks the Broadway premiere of Steppenwolf’s acclaimed staging of a cult classic about an unexpected and intense romance between a lonely waitress (Carrie Coon) and a mysterious drifter (Namir Smallwood). 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.
Photo Credit: Scott Kowalchyk/CBS
