Carrie Coon and Steve Key in Steppenwolf's production of Bug, photo © Michael Brosilow
(NEW YORK, NY) -- Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) presents the Broadway premiere of Bug, written by Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy Letts (August: Osage County, The Minutes) and directed by Tony Award winner David Cromer (Prayer for the French Republic at MTC, The Band's Visit). The production begins performances on Wednesday, December 17, 2025 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street). Opening night is Thursday, January 8, 2026.
From Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tracy Letts (August: Osage County) and Tony Award-winning director David Cromer (Prayer for the French Republic, The Band's Visit) comes 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. The New York Times warns, "Buckle up and brace yourself because Bug is obscenely exciting."
This production of Bug, which was called "thrilling—the greatest Bug ever. The work of fearless artists at the peak of their international careers," by the Chicago Tribune, comes to Broadway following its critically-acclaimed 2021 run at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre.
Carrie Coon and Namir Smallwood in Steppenwolf’s production of Bug, photo © Michael Brosilow
Bug will star three-time Emmy Award nominee and Tony Award nominee Carrie Coon (Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, TV: "The White Lotus," "Fargo," "The Gilded Age") as Agnes White, Namir Smallwood (Pass Over, TV: "American Rust") as Peter Evans, Randall Arney (Steppenwolf's You Can't Take it With You, True West) as Dr. Sweet, Jennifer Engstrom (Sweet Bird of Youth at Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) as R.C., and Steve Key (Sweat, Off-Broadway: Blue Surge, The Effect) as Jerry Goss.
"We are thrilled to welcome Tracy Letts to our stage for the first time with his remarkable play Bug, in a masterful production that originated at Steppenwolf," said Lynne Meadow. "Tracy's voice is one of the most daring and original in the American theatre, and this piece shines a light on the ways that fear, isolation, and conspiracy can infiltrate the human psyche."
"It's exactly the kind of vital work MTC is proud to produce—a play that provokes thoughtful conversation and reminds us of theatre's power to reveal the invisible forces that shape our world," continued Meadow. "We're pleased to be bringing director David Cromer back to the Friedman after his acclaimed production of Prayer for the French Republic graced our stage last year, and to be welcoming the talented cast—led by Carrie Coon and Namir Smallwood—all of whom are making their MTC debuts."
"I love this production of Bug. It's scary and funny and intimate, and it features five great stage actors working at the peak of their powers, under the direction of my long-time collaborator David Cromer," commented Tracy Letts. "But what I love most about it is just how involving it is. When an audience is pulled into a story—when they lose themselves in it—it's a kind of sorcery. And it only happens in live theatre. I'm thrilled Manhattan Theatre Club is taking this on. It's the right theatre with the right play at the right time."
Bug is produced in association with Steppenwolf Theatre Company.
Carrie Coon in Steppenwolf’s production of Bug, photo © Michael Brosilow
Tracy Letts (Playwright) is the author of The Minutes (Pulitzer finalist), Linda Vista, Mary Page Marlowe, The Scavenger's Daughter, Superior Donuts, August: Osage County (Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award for Best Play), Man from Nebraska (Pulitzer finalist), Bug, and Killer Joe. He won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play for his performance in the Tony Award-winning revival of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? In 2002, he joined the Steppenwolf Ensemble and appeared in American Buffalo, Betrayal, The Pillowman, The Pain and the Itch, The Dresser, Homebody/Kabul, The Dazzle, Glengarry Glen Ross, and Three Days of Rain. Film and television credits: Little Women, Ford v. Ferrari, The Post, Lady Bird (SAG Ensemble nominee), The Lovers, Indignation, Christina, The Big Short, Wiener-Dog, Guinevere, "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty," (Emmy nominated for Guest Actor) "The Sinner," and "Homeland," (SAG Ensemble nominee). Upcoming film projects include Kathryn Bigelow's A House of Dynamite and Rosebush Pruning; upcoming TV projects include FX's "The Lowdown," Netflix limited series "East of Eden." Letts is also currently working with James Taylor on writing the book for the new stage musical Fire & Rain.
David Cromer (Director). New York credits include Dead Outlaw; Good Night, and Good Luck; The Antiquities; The Counter; I'm Almost There; A Prayer for the French Republic (MTC); Camp Siegfried; A Case for the Existence of God; The Sound Inside; The Band's Visit; The Treasurer; The House of Blue Leaves; Brighton Beach Memoirs; Nikolai and the Others; The Effect; When the Rain Stops Falling; Tribes; Adding Machine; Our Town; and Orson's Shadow. For his work, he has received a Tony Award, three Tony Award nominations, a Drama Desk Award, three Obie Awards, three Lortel Awards, and in 2010 was named a MacArthur Foundation fellow.
Carrie Coon (Agnes White). Carrie Coon's work spans stage, television, and film. Her portrayal of Honey in the Broadway revival of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? earned her a Tony Award nomination. Since then, she's appeared Off-Broadway in Placebo (Playwrights Horizons) and Mary Jane (New York Theatre Workshop), and has been a company member with Steppenwolf Theatre (2019). Her television credits include "The Leftovers" on HBO (Critics' Choice Award), "Fargo" on FX (Emmy Award nomination), "The Gilded Age" on HBO (Emmy Award nomination, Screen Actors Guild Award nomination), and "The White Lotus" (Emmy Award nomination) on HBOMax.
Namir Smallwood (Peter Evans) joined the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble in 2017. Steppenwolf: You Will Get Sick, The Book of Grace, The Seagull, Bug, True West, BLKS, Monster, Man In Love, The Hot L Baltimore, Last Night and the Night Before. Broadway: Pass Over. Off-Broadway: Pipeline, Pass Over (Lincoln Center). Chicago: Primary Trust (Goodman); Charm (Northlight Theatre); The Grapes of Wrath (The Gift Theatre); East Texas Hot Links (Writers Theatre). Regional: Marin Theatre Company, Pillsbury House Theatre, Ten Thousand Things, Guthrie Theater. International: True West (Galway International Arts Festival). Television: "Chicago Fire," "Betrayal," "Elementary," "American Rust" (Showtime/FreeVee); "Power Book IV: Force" (STARZ). Film: Rounding, About Time, Bailey's Blues.
Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) is a not-for-profit theatre that has been under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow since 1972. In 2023, Chris Jennings became her partner, joining MTC as Executive Director. Meadow, Jennings and their first-rate staff produce seasons of innovative, entertaining and thought-provoking new plays and musicals at MTC's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on Broadway and off-Broadway stages at New York City Center. For over 50 years, MTC has served as a nurturing home for artists and theatre professionals at all stages of their careers. In that time, MTC has produced more than 600 premieres, which include nearly 20% of all of the new plays on Broadway since they opened the Friedman in 2003. To date, MTC productions have garnered 31 Tony Awards; 52 Drama Desk Awards; 49 Obie Awards; and seven Pulitzer Prizes for Martyna Majok's Cost of Living, Lynn Nottage's Ruined, David Lindsay-Abaire's Rabbit Hole, John Patrick Shanley's Doubt, David Auburn's Proof, August Wilson's The Piano Lesson, and Beth Henley's Crimes Of The Heart. MTC has been acclaimed for identifying, fostering and supporting talented artists in the creation of new work, and the hallmark of Meadow's long tenure has been the quality, range and originality of the theatre's repertoire. Artistic Development at MTC includes readings, workshops, fellowships, dramaturgical support and other resources for playwrights and other artists. MTC's playwriting commission program is one of the largest in the country. MTC is committed to ticket access initiatives to make its productions broadly accessible, engaging audiences of all ages and backgrounds. MTC strives to help them build deep connections with its work through Beyond the Stage programming and its Learning and Community Engagement program, which serves over 3,000 students of all ages annually throughout the NYC area, nationwide and abroad.
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