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BUG
Review:Buggetsundertheskinwithemotional,physicalpower
DennisKemptonOeuvreMagazine11/4/2011
AwinnerofaTonyAwardandthePulitzerPrizeforhisplayAugust:OsageCounty,playwrightTracyLettsmothersaidofherson,Itrytobeupbeatandfunny.
EverybodyinTracysstoriesgetsnakedordead.
Lettssecondplay,Bug,isthelatestproductiontogoupontheTeatrostageby
RenegadeTheaterCompany.Anintimatestoryofyearningneed,violence,madness,
anddespair,directorAnikaThompsontakesonLettsloadedscriptwithfiveactors
andpreparestheaudienceforatriponthecrazytrainthatcomesupononenot
withathunderclapblowtothebody,butwithaseeping,discomfitingdread.The
showopenedtoafullhouseaudience.
TheactionoftheplaytakesplaceentirelyinahopelesslyrundownmotelroomwhereAgnes(MollyONeill)anagingwaitresswithmilesofbadluckandbaddecisionsbearingdownonherphysicalandemotionalexistence,ekesoutan
existencehidingoutfromherabusiveex,medicatingherfearandpainwithvodkacokesandtheoccasionallineofcoke.
MuchofthatcomestoachangewhenAgnesbestfriend,R.C.(ErinMcConnell)a
toughtalking,swaggeringlesbianbringsafriend,Peter(CoryAnderson)overone
nighttohangoutinAgnesmotelroom.
Theplayopensarrestingly,aringingphone,theseedymotelroomlitinneon,and
Agnesstaringexpectantlyandwithdreadacrosstheroomatthephone.MollyONeillsresigneddemeanorasthequietlycomplicatedAgnesletstheaudiencein
justenoughtobeshutoutofknowingtheintimatedetailsofallthepersonal
demonsshemustkeepinside.Astheshowprogresses,theslowunravellingisamasterfulpeelingbackoflayerscoupledwithnew,brilliantredscarsboth
physicallyandmentallyasAgnesrelationshipwithPeterbecomesashorrifyinglydebilitatingasanythingelseinherlife.
AndthatbeginsitsslowcrawlunderAgnesskinwiththearrivalofPeterandR.C.McConnelloccupieshermomentsonstagewithunderlyingsexualtension,lounging
andlanguidinONeillslapastheysnortlinesofcokeonthelumpycouchthatalso
servesasAgnesfoldoutbed.IncomesPeterandCoryAndersonsinitialpresentationisthatofawkwardteengrownintocreepyadult,gawkingoverthe
possibilityofburrowingintothelifeoftheobviouslylonelyandwitheringAgnes.
Intheopeningscenes,theeerychemistrybetweenONeillandAndersonbecomes
hypnoticallyapparent.Movinginexorablyfromcaretaking(Agnesallowsthe
essentiallyhomelessPetertocamponherflooratnight)tocodependent,ONeill
givesameasuredperformancefromearlymomentsofself-protectionwhenshe
makesclearthatthelastthingsheneedsisamantoragingwhenPetersparanoia
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breaksthroughforthefirsttimeandheleavesheraloneinhermotelroombefore
confessingthathehadbeenmanipulatedbythegovernment.
InthespacesbetweenAgnesandPetersburgeoningdysfunctioncomesJerry,Agnesabusiveex-conex,playedwithremarkablebelievabilityandconsiderable
presencebyRenegadenewcomerLeeGundersheimer.Physicallyimposingandvocallycompelling,Gundersheimerplaystherolewithasubtlemixofrestrained
humorwhilekeepinghischaractersthreatofviolencealwaysintheforefrontof
everyinteractionhehasonstage.Itsanedgethatonerarelyseesexhibited
successfullyonstagewithoutitbeingfarcicalorcontrived,butGundersheimers
performanceisspot-on;atturnsmockinglyderisivewithPeterandincredulously
perplexedwithAgnesless-than-thrilledreceptiontohissudden,threateningreturn
toheralreadyburdenedlife.Itsallmanipulation,though,andwell-executed.
Andthen,ofcourse,therearebugs.Bugsinthemotelroom.Bugsinbodies.Bugsinthemind.Themotifisclever,permeatingthescriptandinthevulnerable
momentsonstage.WhenthingsgetcomplicatedforPeterandhisalreadybuzzedandoverloadedcircuitry,hisfearandparanoiamanifestincreepycrawlies.Aretheyreal?Arentthey?Whetherornottheyare,thebuggycomplexitiesofPeter
andAgnesrelationshipcometoafreneticanduncomfortablelinkingasthestorycontinuestounfoldonstage,beginningwiththeemotionalandphysicalintimacy
conveyedwhenbotharefinallysharingabedtogetherandwhenPeteriscompletely
naked,pacingtheroom,inspectingthesheetsformorebugsasherevealshis
personalvulnerabilities.Script-wise,itsacleversymbolism.Onstage,combined
withthelighting,nudity,andencroachingrealitythatthiswontbeaneasyridefor
eitherofthem,theoveralleffectisengrossing;thatis,ifyourelookingfor
somethingdeeper.
Welearn,throughhaltingconfessionsandthroughR.C.bitsofPeterstorturedpast.
Andalthoughthisrushofinformationseemstocomemorerapidlyinthesecond
halfoftheproductioninamarkedcontrastfromtheslowsubtletieswrittenintothefirstact,itis,attimes,visuallyshocking,ifsudden.Fortheirpart,ONeilland
AndersonmakeanobviousdeparturefromtheshynessandguardednessoftheirinitialnightofgettingtoknoweachotheronAgnescouchtoafullyflamedsharing
ofpanickeddelusions.ONeillisadroitlysuccessfulatpushingoutaperformance
depictinghercharactersdependenceandfearoflosingPeterthroughherfadinggraspthatsomethingmightactuallybeterriblywrong.Itsachoicehercharacter
makesbetweentwounacceptableoptions.Anderson,too,manipulatestheaudience
inthegrowingdeparturefromawshuckssexuallynonthreateningboynextdoortofullonmadmanwithskillandgradualbeckoning.
Intheclosingscenesoftheshow,JodyKujawamakesanappearanceasDr.Sweet,in
anunexpecteddeparturefromhisusuallarger-than-liferoles,forwhichheiswell-
known.ThroughSweet,Petersconspiracytheoriesanddelusionsarerevealed,
somewhattooconveniently,script-wise.Nevertheless,Kujawaaddsaninteresting
andvaluabletwisttotheshow.
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Thesetdesignisverywelldonethedespairofthescriptistranslatednicelywith
theburdenedcouchandfadingaccessories.ThelightingdesignbyAndyBennettis
akeycomponentoftheshowsvisualsuccesswithremarkablyvividusesoflighttoconveythemoodinessofthenight-timesequences,bathedinredsandbluesandto
contrastwiththeharshslantsofdaylightevokinguncomfortablerealities.Thescenechangemusicisnthelpfulandisactuallysometimesdistractingfromthe
moodsbeingcreatedinscenesonstage.
Fromhaltinglettingdownofpersonalbarrierstotherevelationsofpersonal
demons,Bug,isaprovocativescriptthatdeliversanemotionalpunchonstagein
waysovertandsubtle.Asawriter,Ieschewthetermedgywhenusedtodescribe
acompanysrepertoiresinceitismoreoftentritethanmeaningfulinits
conveyance.However,thecontinuedchoicesofRenegadeTheaterCompanyin
pushingenvelopesaremuchneededfareinthiscreativecommunity.Provocativeistheappropriateword.Andthatswhatthisproductionisfromopeningtoexplosive
conclusion.Seeit.
