Podcast Summary: All Of It – Namir Smallwood Descends into Paranoia in "Bug" on Broadway

Host: Alison Stewart (A) |
Guest: Namir Smallwood (B)
Date: January 22, 2026
Podcast: All Of It, WNYC

Episode Overview

This episode of All Of It delves into Broadway’s highly acclaimed production of Tracy Letts’s play "Bug", focusing on its themes of paranoia, conspiracy, trauma, and isolation. Actor Namir Smallwood, who plays the pivotal role of Peter Evans alongside Carrie Coon, joins Alison Stewart to discuss the psychological depth of the character, how the show has evolved post-COVID, the nuances of portraying Peter as a Black actor, and the real-world resonance of conspiracy and mistrust today.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Returning to "Bug" and Its Evolving Context

• Why Return to the Role?

  • Namir Smallwood previously played Peter Evans in Chicago and was drawn to reprise the role on Broadway due to the strength of the writing, collaboration with Carrie Coon, and the familial connection of Steppenwolf Theatre. (02:21)
    • "Tracy is a fantastic writer and Carrie is one of my favorite actresses…we’re all in this together." (B, 02:21)

• How Has the Production Changed?

  • The earlier Chicago production was interrupted by COVID; the Broadway version feels more grounded and deeply resonant due to changes in the world and in the actors themselves.
    • "Four years later, doing this play now, I think the world has changed dramatically, and I think we've changed dramatically as well. So there's a deepening…"(B, 03:29)

Exploring the Character of Peter Evans

• Psychological Depth

  • Peter is a war veteran, deeply fractured by his experiences. Smallwood explores the psychological impact of military service and trauma.
    • "If you’re not careful, there’s something that the military can do to you, you know, to your psyche. It can break who you are as a person." (B, 04:02-04:17)
  • He relates Peter’s search for answers to the experience of many Americans grappling with unhealed wounds.

• Audience’s Initial Perception

  • Peter is introduced as awkward but genuine and gentle, masking his inner turmoil.
    • "He’s just trying to…let [being a nice guy] lead forward instead of everything that's gone on in his brain…The real person always shows up." (B, 05:26-06:16)
  • Connection with Agnes is built on their mutual brokenness and search for something lost.
    • "There's a recognition of, oh, you're lost, just like I'm lost. Well, maybe we can find where we're going together." (B, 06:32)

Backstage Anecdotes & Live Theater

• Unexpected Incidents on Stage
  • Both actors faced physical and vocal issues live; turning these into authentic, improvisational moments.
    • "[Carrie Coon] couldn't speak…What I did was I sped up so…to get her off stage." (B, 07:52-08:29)
    • "A few days ago…my voice started going...the rest of the show was like, wow, touch and go." (B, 08:32-08:59)
  • Incorporating audience disturbances and environmental distractions into the performance—phones, watches, even a spider.
    • "You gotta use it…You're hearing all these sounds, all this technology. You have to use it." (B, 09:39-10:19)

Representing Paranoia and Descent

• Portraying Accelerating Paranoia
  • Subtlety at first, quickly escalating by Act II as Peter’s crises intensify—his mental health decline is shaped by isolation and substance abuse, paralleling broader societal experiences post-pandemic.
    • "Whatever is affecting you is…comfortable too. So it just comes out…By the second act, it's accelerated…a combination of everything." (B, 11:19-12:18)
  • COVID’s impact changed how isolation and psychological decline feel real to the current audience.
    • "You can be in a room with a person, but you're still gonna have yourself there as well, and you have to figure out who you are." (B, 12:47)

Racial Identity and Playing Peter Evans

• The Tuskegee Reference and Racial Context

  • The play references the Tuskegee experiments; Smallwood explains how this, and his presence as a Black man, adds new gravitas and subtext.
    • "I can't be unhinged…I can't be…nasty towards Agnes because she's a white woman. I'm a black man, and it's going to come across as…something sinister." (B, 14:30)

• Portraying Peter as a Black Actor

  • Choices are more calculated, with hyper-awareness of how actions will be received by the audience due to racial dynamics.
    • "Whatever my choices are, they're very well thought out, because they have to be. Because I can't be just raw. Here I am, you know, like, I can't do it." (B, 14:30-16:22)
  • Smallwood overlays Peter’s character with research into both white and Black examples of military trauma and betrayal, connecting his performance to real-life events and histories that impact Black Americans.
    • "When you start coloring these backstories with…real knowledge, stuff that happened to people who look like me, then it changes it on a dime." (B, 17:13)

Conspiracies, Paranoia, and Modern Reality

• Understanding Paranoia

  • Smallwood reflects on how contemporary society is primed for conspiracies by uncertainty, technology, and recent revelations about real conspiracies.
    • "I feel like a conspiracy theory is a theory until it's not. There are conspiracies for everything…when it's let out, per se, it's like, oh, really? That happened." (B, 19:51-20:57)

• Pop Culture Echoes

  • Discussion veers toward similar characters in pop culture who turn out to be correct, deepening the ambiguity of what is “paranoia” and what is truth.
    • "You think about it, it's like…the idea of all these politicians and pedophilia…Then it turns out there's a little bit of truth to that." (B, 21:34)

Personal Background and Preparation

• Namir Smallwood’s Routine & Roots
  • He prepares for each show with vocal and physical warmups, mentally mapping out the play in its entirety before stepping onstage. (18:52-19:36)
• Background
  • Smallwood grew up in Newark, New Jersey, embracing his regional roots in his performance as Peter.
    • "Maybe he's from Oklahoma. And Tracy was like, no, he could be from wherever…Oh, okay." (B, 22:18)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Theater’s Unpredictability:
  "Phones go off. Somebody's heart monitor went off a few times...You gotta use it." (B, 09:39)

• On Playing Peter as a Black Actor:
  "I can't turn my blackness off. I can't do it...Whatever my choices are, they're very well thought out, because they have to be." (B, 14:30-16:22)

• Paranoia’s Relevance Today:
  "You can be in a room with a person, but you're still gonna have yourself there as well, and you have to figure out who you are." (B, 12:47)

• On Real-Life Conspiracies:
  "I feel like a conspiracy theory is a theory until it's not." (B, 19:51)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:21] Why return to "Bug" and the Steppenwolf connection
• [03:29] How the production evolved post-COVID
• [04:02] The military’s psychological impact on Peter
• [06:32] Peter and Agnes – connecting through brokenness
• [07:52] Live theater: actor injury incident
• [09:39] Dealing with audience and environmental interruptions
• [11:01] Depicting Peter's accelerating paranoia
• [12:31] The impact of COVID on interpreting the play’s themes
• [14:30] Race, the Tuskegee reference, and measuring choices as a Black actor
• [17:13] Researching the role: filtering Peter’s backstory through Black history
• [18:52] Preparation rituals before each performance
• [19:51] "A conspiracy theory is a theory until it's not…"
• [22:18] Embracing his own New Jersey roots in the character

Final Thoughts

This episode provides a richly layered look at Bug, its relevance in the post-pandemic landscape, and the additional resonance brought by a Black actor in a classically white role. Namir Smallwood offers an insightful, honest exploration of trauma, paranoia, and identity—making this a standout conversation for those interested in theater, performance, and contemporary culture.