Displaying items by tag: Namir Smallwood

Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to continue its 49th season with the Chicago premiere of The Book of Grace, an incendiary family portrait by Suzan-Lori Parks, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of Topdog/Underdog. Directed by Steve H. Broadnax III, The Book of Grace will play March 27 – May 18, 2025 in Steppenwolf's Ensemble Theater in Honor of Helen Zell, 1646 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. Single tickets starting at $20 are now on sale at steppenwolf.org or the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. The press opening is Sunday, April 6, 2025 at 6 pm.

The Book of Grace will feature ensemble member Namir Smallwood (Steppenwolf: Bug, True West–also Galway Festival, Seagull. Broadway/Off-Broadway: Pass Over. TV: American Rust) with Jerome Preston Bates (Broadway: Seven Guitars, Stick Fly, Jitney. TV: All My Children) and Zainab Jah (Broadway: Eclipsed. Off-Broadway: School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play. TV: Only Murders in the Building).

About the Production:

Grace looks for the good in everything: in her husband's rules, in the border he patrols, in the return of his estranged son. But a want for goodness cannot unwind the past, as this taut family reunion explodes in all directions. Witness this startling reminder that the search for common ground can be bloody and brutal, leaving casualties on every side of the divide.

Steppenwolf is thrilled that the Chicago premiere of The Book of Grace offers playwright Suzan-Lori Parks an opportunity to revisit this "companion" to Topdog/Underdog, deepening and expanding the world of her play for the present day.

The creative team includes Arnel Sancianco (Scenic Design), Raquel Adorno (Costume Design), Jason Lynch (Lighting Design), Curtis Craig (Sound Design & Original Music), Rasean Davonté Johnson (Projection Design) Kate DeVore (Vocal Coach), Jonathan L. Green (Dramaturg), Patrick Zakem (Creative Producer), Elise Hausken (Production Manager), JC Clementz, CSA (Casting), Michelle Medvin (Production Stage Manager) and Jaclynn Joslin (Assistant Stage Manager). For cast and creative team bios, click here.

Production Details:

Title: The Book of Grace
Playwright: Suzan-Lori Parks
Director: Steve H. Broadnax III
Cast: Ensemble member Namir Smallwood (Buddy) with Jerome Preston Bates (Vet) and Zainab Jah (Grace),

Location: Steppenwolf's Ensemble Theater in Honor of Helen Zell, 1646 N. Halsted St., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Thursday, March 27 – Saturday, April 5, 2025
Press performance/Opening: Sunday, April 6, 2025 at 6 pm
Regular run: Thursday, April 10 – Sunday, May 18, 2025
Curtain Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 3 pm & 7:30 pm; and Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will not be performances on Tuesday, April 1 at 7:30 pm, Tuesday, April 8 at 7:30 pm, Wednesday, April 9 at 7:30 pm, Tuesday, April 22 at 7:30 pm, Wednesday, April 23 at 7:30 pm, Wednesday, May 7 at 7:30 pm, Saturday, May 10 at 3 pm or 7:30 pm; Sunday, May 11 at 3 pm or Tuesday, May 13 at 7:30 pm; there will be an added matinee performance on Wednesday, May 7 at 2 pm.

Tickets: Single tickets for The Book of Grace ($20 - $102) are now on sale at steppenwolf.org and the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. Steppenwolf Flex Memberships are also currently on sale: Black Card Memberships with six tickets for use any time for any production and RED Card Memberships for theatergoers under 30.

Accessible Performance Dates:

Audio-described and Touch Tour: Sunday, May 4 at 3 pm (1:30 pm touch tour)
Open-Captioned: Saturday, May 3 at 3 pm & Thursday, May 8 at 7:30 pm
ASL-Interpreted: Friday, May 16 at 7:30 pm

Education and Engagement:

Throughout the 2024/25 season, Steppenwolf continues its commitment to the next generation of theatre learners, makers and appreciators with robust education and engagement programming. Programming includes dedicated student matinee performances during four of the five Membership Series productions including Noises Off, Leroy and Lucy, Fool for Love and The Book of Grace, in-school residencies in partnership with Chicago Public schools, workshops, panels and events specifically geared towards teens, as well as professional development trainings and resources for educators. Additionally, Steppenwolf is reimagining their community engagement and will pilot new public programming, continue accessibility programming and offer opportunities for deeper explorations for audiences throughout the season. For additional information about Steppenwolf's Education and Engagement programming and to register your school for a field trip, visit steppenwolf.org/education-and-engagement/steppenwolf-field-trip-series.

Artist Biographies:

Jerome Preston Bates (Vet) Broadway: Seven Guitars, Stick Fly, Jitney, American Son, Death of a Salesman. Off Broadway: The Refuge Plays (Roundabout Theatre Company), The Public, Beckett Theatre, Abingdon Theatre, Circle Rep, Playwrights Horizon, New Federal Theatre, Negro Ensemble Company. Regional: Seven Guitars (opposite Viola Davis, world premiere, Goodman Theatre), Yale Repertory, The Kennedy Center, Hartford Stage, Baltimore Center Stage, Arena Stage, Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Comedy of Errors, King Richard III), Old Globe (Macbeth), Folgers (King Lear in association with Classical Theatre of Harlem), Wilma Theater, Arden Theatre, Philadelphia Drama Guild, among others. Director: The Man in Room 304 (Luna Stage), Seven Guitars (Triad Stage), A Raisin in The Sun (Livingstone College), all 10 of the American Century Cycle at Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History. Writer: Electric Lady, Augusta Brown, Mr. Unemployed, Jimi Hendrix (screenplay). Film: Shaft (with Samuel L. Jackson), PEEPLES, Musical Chairs, Tio Papi, The Out of Towners. Television: All My Children, Oz, Law and Order, SVU, New York Undercover, Sesame Street, Lights Out, Notes from the Field with Anna DeVere Smith. Awards: seven time AUDELCO winner. Education/Training: LAMDA/London, University of Tennessee, Knoxville College, The New School, Professional Positions: Teaching Staff at Stella Adler School of Acting NY.

Zainab Jah (Grace) Broadway: Eclipsed, Venus, Boesman and Lena. Off Broadway: School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play (MCC); The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (Atlantic Theater Company). Regional: Hamlet (Wilma Theater); The Convert (LATC). Film: Reunion, Farewell Amor, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, False Positive. Television: The Continental, The Blacklist, Only Murders in the Building, The Good Lord Bird, Deep State, Instinct, Blindspot, Elementary, Homeland.

Namir Smallwood (Buddy) joined the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble in 2017. Steppenwolf: 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.

Suzan-Lori Parks (Playwright) is a multi-award-winning American writer/musician and the first African-American woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Topdog/Underdog which recently enjoyed its twentieth anniversary Broadway revival. The production won the 2023 Tony Award, (Best Revival Of A Play). Last season she had new works which received world premieres, notably, at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Sally & Tom and, at Joe's Pub in New York City, Plays for the Plague Year (winner of The Drama Desk Award for Best Music in a Play). As a college student, Parks studied creative writing with James Baldwin, who encouraged her to begin writing for the theatre.

Steve H. Broadnax III (Director) Broadway: Thoughts of a Colored Man. Additional: Branden Jacobs- Jenkins's Appropriate at the Old Globe, Suzan-Lori Parks's Sally and Tom at the Public Theatre/ Guthrie Theatre (World Premiere), Katori Hall's Pulitzer Prize Premiere The Hot Wing King at Signature Theatre, Lee Edward Colston's The First Deep Breath, Geffen Theatre (Jeff Awards Best New Work), Dominique Morisseau's Sunset Baby at Signature Theatre and Blood at the Root at the National Black Theatre (Winner of Kennedy Center's Hip Hop Theater Creator Award) and William Jackson Harper's Premiere Travisville Ensemble Studio. Ensemble Studio Theatre member, Associate Artistic Director at People's Light Theatre, Professor of Theatre at Penn State University, and Head of MFA Directing.

Accessibility:

As a commitment to make the Steppenwolf experience accessible to everyone, performances featuring American Sign Language Interpretation, Open Captioning and Audio Description are offered during the run of each STC production. Assistive listening devices (ALDs), large-print programs and Braille programs are available for every performance and all our spaces are equipped with an induction hearing loop. Our building features wheelchair accessible seating and restrooms, push-button entrances, a courtesy wheelchair and all-gender restrooms, with accessible counter and table spaces at our bars. For additional information regarding accessibility, visit steppenwolf.org/access or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Eboni Booth’s 2024 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Primary Trust is a deeply introspective and bittersweet exploration of abandonment, routine, and the disorienting reality of sudden change. Directed with sensitivity by Malkia Stampley in her Goodman debut, the production skillfully tells the story of Kenneth, a quiet, unassuming man in his late 30s who has spent his entire life working at a single bookstore. When the shop closes, Kenneth is forced to confront not only the uncertainty of unemployment but also the emotional abandonment that surfaces as his stable, predictable world unravels. The closure of the bookstore, along with his long-standing isolation, pushes Kenneth to face a future where the comforting routines and relationships he once relied on are gone, underscoring the profound effects of abandonment in his life.

Namir Smallwood’s portrayal of Kenneth is truly extraordinary. He captures the character’s quiet vulnerability, depicting a man whose life revolves around the safety of a small, predictable world. Smallwood infuses Kenneth with a subtle yet profound emotional depth, inviting the audience to experience both his fear of change and his intense longing for connection. His interactions, especially with his imaginary friend Bert, reveal Kenneth’s deep-seated need for stability and companionship. Bravo!

Charles Andrew Gardner plays Bert, Kenneth’s imaginary friend and a manifestation of his internal struggles. Gardner’s portrayal is warm and engaging, bringing a sense of playfulness and hope to the otherwise heavy emotional landscape. The dynamic between Smallwood and Gardner is captivating, with Bert acting as both a comforting presence and a stark reminder of Kenneth’s profound isolation. Gardner brings a lightness to the role that underscores the bittersweet nature of Kenneth’s imaginary companionship.

Christiana Clark is impressive in her portrayal of 27 characters, most notably Corrina, a waitress at a bar where Kenneth frequently dines. Clark brings a vibrant energy to her roles, providing Kenneth with moments of real, tangible connection. Her Corrina is kind but grounded, gently pushing Kenneth to consider the world beyond his limited bubble. Clark’s range is showcased as she shifts between 27 (you read that) 27 different personas, offering a fresh perspective to each new character.

Fred Zimmerman also takes on multiple roles, including Kenneth’s boss, Clay, and various other characters. His versatility adds depth and dimension to the play’s supporting cast, each character uniquely distinct and contributing to Kenneth’s journey. Zimmerman’s performance helps fill out the world of Primary Trust with a sense of realism and gentle humor.

Mike Przygoda’s onstage musicianship brings a delicate, almost whimsical layer to the production. His understated presence as the tiki bar musician, playing late 90s top 40 hits, highlights key emotional moments in Kenneth’s journey. The music acts as an emotional echo, amplifying Kenneth’s solitude and brief glimpses of hope.

Lex Liang’s set design perfectly captures the small town of Cranberry, N.Y. where Kenneth lives. He brilliantly makes the town feel even smaller through his presence. Heather Gilbert’s lighting design enhances this with soft, natural tones and hints of color that create a sense of warmth while subtly highlighting a sense of hope.

Malkia Stampley’s direction allows the story to unfold at a measured pace, giving space for the quiet moments to resonate. She lets the production breathe as she skillfully balances the play’s themes of abandonment, loneliness and hope, guiding the audience through Kenneth’s gradual self-realization with care and empathy. The delicate interplay between reality and fantasy is handled with a light touch, allowing the audience to feel immersed in Kenneth’s internal world without losing sight of the story’s emotional core.

Primary Trust is a moving and tender exploration of a fragile man struggling to cope with the sudden upheaval of his carefully structured life. With an outstanding cast and an inspired creative team, the production offers a quiet yet profound reflection on human connection, personal growth, courage, and the essential need for primary trust. Yeah, it’s okay to not be okay.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

When: Through Nov. 3

Where: Goodman Theatre 170 N. Dearborn

Tickets: $25 - $40

Infor:www.goodmantheatre.org/show/primary-trust/

In the dark of night, a man is digging a hole. Once the hole is deep enough he drops a bundle into it and covers it with dirt. Behind him a little girl looks on. After re-filling the hole, he walks off.

Scene.

It is early morning. We are in a well-appointed home. In fact, it is an updated Brooklyn brownstone. Brooklyn is my home. I would know it anywhere. The exterior stands stately and proud. The interior is right out of Architectural Digest magazine. There is a floor thru kitchen leading to a dining area. Behind the dining area is a slide away door leading to an office.  Scenic Designer Regina Garcia did a fantastic job conveying not only this apartment, but also the street where it lives. This is the home of Nadima (Jessica Dean Turner) and her lover Rachel (Sydney Charles). Theirs is a happy, solid home, at least it is staged that way. Rachel is a New York City school teacher and Nadima, is a real estate agent, she’s used to staging homes for sale.

When Nadima answers the front door and sees Monique (Ayanna Bria Bakari), her lover’s sister, she practically shuts the door in her face. There is history between these two and it creates much needed tension in this play. It is Rachel who invites her sister Monique and Sam (Kylah Renee Jones, Aliyana Nicole alternately), her niece, into the house. After negotiating with her lover, Rachel allows Monique and Sam to stay, only for Monique to create a convoluted story and leave without Sam a few days later in the middle of the night. 

“Last Night….” takes us back to those nights before life spiraled out of control for this family. We meet Reggie (Namir Smallwood), Monique’s boyfriend, and Sam’s father. We see the love between Reggie and Monique before Sam’s birth.  We see Reggie and Sam playing hand games, games meant to calm as well as teach Sam about life. Whose memories these flashbacks are isn’t quite clear. Through conversations with Nadima we learn of Rachel and Monique’s upbringing. We learn of generational traumas they had to bear, and the guilt Rachel has for her escape... We also start to see this once solid relationship show signs of weakness.

Director Valerie Curtis-Newton has assembled an excellent cast whose major job is supporting the child character of Sam. Sam is the raison d’ étre of “Last Night….”   It is a lot to put on a child, but Jones (on opening night) shows she has the acting chops to not only play this role but to shine in it.

In my opinion, Donnetta Lavinia Grays’ “Last Night….” suffers from a lack of a clear antagonist. There are some beautiful lines and certain scenes are precious, but it lacks a certain dramatic immediacy. Other than Sam, we never spend enough time to truly care for these characters. They seem to have it all figured out anyway, after all, the real problem is buried. The rest is just life.

When: Through May 14

Where: Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St.

Tickets: $48 - $88

Info:  steppenwolf.org

“A man came by chance, saw it, and destroyed it” repeats Chekhov in his psychological melodrama “The Seagull”. Such a simple phrase says so much about the ways humans can treat one another. Steppenwolf Theatre revives the classic play under the title “Seagull” in a new adaptation by company member Yasen Peyankov who also serves as the director. Steppenwolf invites audiences to their new impressive theater space for its inaugural production. The cast primarily features ensemble members in what feels like a celebration of Steppenwolf’s rich legacy.

“Seagull” is a great introduction to the impressive new building on Steppenwolf’s campus as well as a great introduction to Anton Chekhov. Yasen Peyankov worked on this script for many years, occasionally working with Russian language experts from Northwestern University to maintain Chekhov’s original intent. Audiences will be struck by how fresh this script sounds. Plays of this era can be a bit of a slog for the uninitiated, but this version has a stronger sense of immediacy to the lines. Peyankov focuses his script on the dark humor that often gets diluted out in tedious repetition and lengthy scene-work. The main points are easier to grasp here and overall serves the tragic ending more because the characters feel more relatable.

Peyankov’s script is peppered with a reality TV flare. Nobody perhaps better inhabits that flavor than Lusia Strus as Irina Arkadina. Her character is a fading stage actress who’s summering at a country house with her new beau and her adult son. Her adult son Konstantin (Namir Smallwood) is also struggling writer and loathes his mother’s successful writer boyfriend Trigorin (Joey Slotnik). He’s in love with Nina (Caroline Neff) but she much favors fame than love. Konstantin cannot return the love of the caretaker’s gothic daughter Masha (Karen Rodriguez) though she’s the only one who believes in his talent as a writer. Emotions run high and reactions run big, just like an episode of “Real Housewives.” Lusia is a bold, sexy and smokey voiced Irina, often walking away with most of the laughs in the play.

“Seagull” seems more focused on the female ensemble and that’s just fine because this is a stellar cast of actresses. Masha is arguably one of the best roles an actress can ask for. Karen Rodriguez doesn’t get bogged down in the angst of the role, but rather uses physicality to enhance the comic absurdity of Masha’s moroseness. Masha’s mother Paulina is played by Sandra Marquez who also does a great job of pulling out the humor of an otherwise pathetic character. This script brings the young starstruck Nina character to life more than previous versions. The play gets its name from her character afterall. Caroline Neff delivers a notably emotional performance. The beauty of the new in-the-round space is that in the final moments of the play audiences are able to see and experience the facial expressions of the actors in a way not possible in their existing spaces. Neff is devastating as she manically circles the performance space vacillating between clarity and delusion. Throughout the play Neff speaks the dialogue so naturally that it almost doesn’t feel like scripted words at all.

Purists will have their qualms with this new adaptation but there are only so many ways to use the same dusty old scripts. Yasen Peyankov’s script is definitely cheeky, but there’s real depth in his version. By cleaning up the clutter of words in traditional translations he makes room for the character ambitions to be clearer. When they don’t get what they want, it makes it all the more tragic. If you’re looking for a lighter dance through Chekhov, this is the version to see.

Through June 12 at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. 1650 N Halsted. www.steppenwolf.org/seagull

Tracy Letts’ “Bug” beckons audiences back to Steppenwolf live and in-person. This gripping psychological drama tells the story of Agnes (Carry Coon), a drug-addicted, alcoholic waitress marooned in an Oklahoma motel room, consoling herself by staying high, and hanging out with her best friend, R.C. (Jennifer Engstrom), a hard-boiled woman and fellow parrtier.

While COVID-19 forced “Bug” to close mid-way in March 2020, director David Cromer regrouped the original, stellar cast to resume the run, and you will not want to miss this opportunity to see it.

Agnes’s troubles include an abusive ex-husband, Jerry (Steve Key) who soon pays an unwanted visit after being released from prison, looking to pick up where he left off. But Jerry finds someone new in his place: Peter (Namir Smallwood), a drifter who trailed into the room with R.C., and just stayed. Jerry begrudgingly takes off.

Here the story turns. Peter and Agnes rapidly descend into a toxic, co-dependent relationship, spiraling relentlessly downward as Peter shares Agnes's partiality to smoking crack, which they do continuously to an end that will leave you stunned.

The performances by Namir Smallwood as Peter and Carrie Coon as Agnes are breathtakingly good. Smallwood in particular rises to the challenge of convincing us that while he is tethered to reality, it is really somewhat loosely. Coon gives us an Agnes who wavers like a compass needle, pulled to the shifting polarities of the varied players in her life before locking decisevely to Peter.

“Bug” embodies what I consider a signature of Steppenwolf style, if there can be such a thing—allowing for scenes dominated by silent performances, the action on stage amplified by the absence of lines. Such scenes, and the powerful scenic design (Takeshi Kata), builds tension steadily, “keeping us in the dark just enough to continually thirst for its next moment,” as my colleague, Ken Payne noted of the 2020 staging. 

As a post-pandemic show, “Bug” is especially relevant, with drug addiction rising to epidemic levels during these trying times. Letts offers a searingly realistic window into their impact on individuals and relationships. “Bug” captures the paranoia visited upon abusers of stimulants like crack and meth. We even experience the miasma that causes struggling addicts to vehemently resist intervention by their family and friends.aBug runs through December 12, 2021.

Single tickets for Bug ($20 – $110) at steppenwolf.org or 312-335-1650. Discounts include new Artists & Essential Workers discount, expanded 20-for-$20 program, Pay-Your-Age performances, $5 teen tickets through the Teen Arts Pass, and more. Steppenwolf is part of the coalition of over 70 Chicagoland performing arts venues and producers that have agreed upon COVID-19 vaccination and mask requirements for all audiences, artists and staff through the end of 2021. Steppenwolf is offering four reduced capacity performances for “Bug,” seating every other row and one seat on either side of each party: Sunday evening November 21, Wednesday evening November 24 and Wednesday matinees December 1 and 8. www.Steppenwolf.org

When Tracy Letts wrote ‘Bug’ in 1995, it was an age when, yes, though conspiracy theories existed, they haven’t yet run nearly as rampant as the have since the September 11th, 2001 takedown of the mighty World Trade Center buildings in New York. Today we live in a world where conspiracies take form on a daily basis - and certainly the advances of information availability via the Internet over the past couple decades has played a big part in it.  ‘Bug’ reminds us that paranoia is nothing new and that going down rabbit holes can lead to ultimate disaster for some. But who’s to say one’s paranoia isn’t warranted – that there is some truth behind it? Perhaps partial truths lead to more truths or perhaps they become exaggerated. Or perhaps there was never any truth at all.

In Steppenwolf’s ‘Bug’ there are certainly leading moments of volleying back and forth on whether a truth exists or if paranoia-fed delusions have created a personal horror movie. 

Set in Oklahoma, we find a waitress, Agnes White (Carrie Coon) living in a roadside motel. She uses hard drugs and alcohol to get through most days and fears the return of her ex-husband, Jerry Goss, who was recently paroled from prison where he was incarcerated for armed robbery charges. While more and more paranoid with every silent phone call she receives that Jerry is near, she opens her door to a low-key drifter, Peter Evans (Namir Smallwood). He seems gentle enough. The two indulge in small talk and smoking crack and his company becomes a comfort to her. They are both lonely and she takes him in, hardly knowing him at all. Not long after a love affair begins, and then…he sees bugs…and more bugs…and then come the bites. The story quickly becomes a creepy thrill-ride filled with suspicion and government conspiracies, even touching on Bilderberg meetings, population control and the Oklahoma bombing, a tragedy that struck a particular chord with the playwright who was born and raised in the same state. It is a story about fear and trust. It is also, as Lett’s himself describes it, “a love story.”

Written to be staged in smaller theaters for a more intimate audience, Steppenwolf takes on the challenge of creating a larger production and, thanks to brilliant direction from David Cromer, who Letts calls the “greatest living director,” the theatre company pulls it off without a hitch. The play is up close and personal enough to really resonate while giving us a grand set that still puts every audience member inside the seedy motel room. Letts, a Pulitzer Prize for Drama winner, also shares his excitement of a larger venue. “’Bug’ has primarily been done in really small spaces, normally in theaters of 100 seats or fewer, so to see it in our theater with the caliber of our actors and David Cromer directing…I can’t wait,” says Letts.      

Ensemble member Carrie Coon, who previously tore it up in Steppenwolf’s ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf?’ and was nominated for a Tony for the same role on Broadway, shows us once again why she is considered a top-caliber stage actor. Her portrayal of Agnes is nothing short of breathtaking. Coon courageously navigates this bold role with harsh demands and leaves us with a performance that is haunting and memorable but most of all real. Fellow ensemble member Namir Smallwood is also superb is his take of Peter Evans and watching him is as compelling as is gets in this thriller. So convincing is Smallwood, I could have sworn I was getting bug bites just watching him. Together, the two are a force. In addition to the dynamism of the play’s two leads, the show gets strong support from Jennifer Engstrom as R.C., Steve Key as Jerry Goss and Randall Arney as Dr. Sweet.

Though a psychological thriller, the play is not without well-placed humor. It’s got a little of everything. ‘Bug’ is just a damn good show from its suspenseful opening scene to its climactic ending. The tension throughout builds at a steady pace, keeping us in the dark just enough to continually thirst for its next moment.

Highly recommended.

‘Bug’ is being performed at Steppenwolf Theatre through March 15th. For tickets and/or more information, visit www.steppenwolf.org.