3 out of 5 stars

If you feel a sudden itch during “Bug,” that’s probably playwright Tracy Letts’ intention. Here we have a study of paranoid delusion, involving a drifter (played deftly by Namir Smallwood) who’s convinced something creepy crawly is underneath his skin. In turn, he convinces an emotionally fragile woman (played even more deftly by Carrie Coon) that she’s being, well, bugged – in every sense of the term. The MTC David Cromer-directed revival makes a solid case for this early Letts work, but let’s be honest: The story is kinda gross by design, so it’s hard to be overly enthusiastic about things. -- Charles Passy

Presented by the Manhattan Theatre Club at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, through Feb. 22, 2026; manhattantheatreclub.com. Photo credit (bottom picture): Matthew Murphy. (Review date: Jan. 8, 2026)