Bug Through February 1; Thursday-Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m.; $16-$20. Art Square Theatre, cockroachtheatre.com.
The closed-loop intricacy of schizophrenic hallucinations is eerily captivating, its internal logic offering no escape or explanation, save one born of delirium. Tracy Letts’ Bug overlays this system with the claustrophobia of grief and abusive relationships. Under the co-direction of Aaron Oetting and Will Adamson, Cockroach Theatre’s production at Art Square Theatre offers a window into the comforts and confusion of hallucinations in a genuinely creepy, emotionally explosive show.
Agnes (played by Sabrina Cofield), lives in a run-down motel room, haunted by the specter of her abusive ex-husband Goss (the nonchalantly terrifying Ryan Hess) and the loss of her young son. When her best friend R.C. (Tressa Bern, full of spiky bravado and equally spiky concern) introduces her to Peter (Levi Fackrell), she finds someone she can relate to. Even as he becomes increasingly delusional she follows him down the rabbit hole, until, in a paranoid bacchanal of blood and injury, she triumphantly turns her grief into a sense of conviction that fills her with an explosive purpose. It’s a cathartic moment—simultaneously the stupidest, worst conclusion that these people could ever have come up with and the absolute best.
Cofield is astounding as Agnes. By turns seductive, confused or raging, her portrayal of a woman adrift in grief and loneliness is heartbreaking. Her genuine need is the lodestone of the play, guiding the audience into ever-darker places. As Peter, Levi Fackrell demonstrates a disarming timidity that barely (and not always) covers a swirling darkness along with a deadpan humor that relieves the tension enough to take you further into delusion. John Gallagher’s scenic design fully immerses the audience in the world of the play, especially in one great reveal; Elizabeth Kline’s lights are tender and moody; and James Boldt’s and John McClain’s sound design is phenomenal, continually heightening the terror of the piece until it takes it over in spaces.
The show isn’t all horror. There’s a sly sense of humor even in its darkest moments. One-liners from Peter, the strange appearance of Dr. Sweet (Alex Pink) and the voice of a pizza delivery guy (Kyle Jones) keep things from getting too oppressive. But still, any play that can make a physically abusive felon its voice of reason, as this does with Goss, takes you to some extreme places. Bug is worth it.
