‘Bug In Mouth Disease’ at The Larking House

OC Theatre Guild
19 hours ago
4 min read

When the Truth Won’t Stay Buried

From left, top row: Feyara Bellefleur, Zion Aguilar, Lars Toler, Sophia Gonzalez; bottom row: Jarid McCarthy, Josh Causley, Mae Montgomery, and Rosa Sandoval. Photo courtesy of Lizzy McCabe

By MaryAnn DiPietro

Family reunions are rarely clean and simple, and in “Bug In Mouth Disease,” the sharp, dark yet funny new play making its world premiere, the secrets are undeniably messy.

Produced by The Larking House, “Bug In Mouth Disease” arrives as a milestone for a company invested in the future of new American theater. The play, written by Fiona Gorry-Hines and developed through The Larking House Playwright’s Intensive program, now takes center stage as part of the company’s main stage season. It marks the company’s first production in its new home at the Grand Central Art Center.

For Lizzy McCabe, one of the production’s creative leaders, the show represents the culmination of years of mission-driven work. “I am the founding artistic director and a board member for The Larking House as well as a freelance theater artist and arts administrator. I am also a staff member at Curtis Theatre and an elected board member of the Orange County Theatre Guild.” For this production, McCabe is serving as executive producer and makeup designer.

“This play was originally submitted to us through our yearly Playwright's Intensive program,” McCabe explained. “After being selected for in-person development and receiving a staged reading in December 2024, the decision was made to bring it fully to life. This year, we decided to make its world premiere part of our main stage season. We felt that the playwright as well as the script itself aligned heavily with the mission of our organization.”

The production is directed by Paige Taylor, who returns to The Larking House after her debut with the world premiere of “Abyss" in 2024. “There have been a lot of deep discussions regarding family dynamics and observation of personal relationships to character arcs,” McCabe said. “That bodes well for really great acting performances.”

From left, Feyara Bellefleur, Rosa Sandoval, Josh Causley, Zion Aguilar, Mae Montgomery, Sophia Gonzalez, and Lars Toler. Photo courtesy of Lizzy McCabe

The ensemble blends familiar company members, including Feyara Bellefleur, Zion Aguilar, Rosa Sandoval, Josh Causley, and Jarid McCarthy along with new faces and first-time lead designers. “This whole team consists of some really talented, young, emerging artists that are hungry and eager to show the community what they bring to the table,” McCabe said.

“Bug In Mouth Disease” is not only unique to us as a company but really stands alone in the way it approaches its argument,” McCabe said. “The script is sharp, witty, humorous and really impactful in unexpected ways.”

When asked to describe the play in her own words, McCabe indulged, “The show is about six siblings that converge in a local restaurant to discuss issues regarding their mother and father. Mom has joined an MLM pyramid scheme. Dad has an unruly gambling addiction. As you can imagine, family dynamics are tense and messy, and to add to the distress of it all, the siblings realize they all have the same horrible affliction: Bugs are periodically crawling out of their mouths for seemingly no reason. The show goes on to explore why these bugs appear and how they can rid themselves of the critters, all while working through their collective differences and past traumas.”

“At its emotional core, ‘Bug In Mouth Disease’ is less about insects than about communication or the lack of it.” McCabe said. “More than anything specific, the journey of these siblings trying to align with where they are all at in their lives now really resonates with me. It can be a struggle to connect with someone who is so different from you, regardless of shared experiences.”

That struggle is embodied not just in the text but in the play’s most technical challenges. McCabe admitted, “Figuring out the logistics of the bugs is one of those aspects of a show where you read it in the script and just go, ‘I have no clue how we are going to do this, but we're going to figure it out.’ Since the play is brand new, solutions are being invented in real time. We are the ones that get to be creative and make magic happen.”

The Larking House will be creating its magic in a new location, and McCabe hopes audiences appreciate it as much as she does. “The dialogue and the relationships are really what make this show shine,” she said. “Its relatability converges beautifully with the absurd nature of the situation.” McCabe did admit, “I’m a little nervous that people will actually hate the bugs. But they are not real, I swear.”