Virginia Rep’s artistic director Rick Hammerly didn’t waste time when he heard the Broadway production of Little Bear Ridge Road was closing. He immediately reached out to playwright Samuel D. Hunter’s agent to see about getting the rights to produce the play in Richmond.
His reasons for doing so were two-fold.
“There is something exciting about being the first organization to produce a play after Broadway and to introduce it to Richmond audiences. But ultimately, it came down to the play itself. It’s smart, funny, moving, deeply human, and I wanted to be part of giving it a life beyond New York,” said Hammerly, who is directing the production now playing at Virginia Rep’s intimate Theatre Gym in the November Theatre Complex through September 6.
The 2026 Tony-nominated play speaks to the complicated ways families try to show up for each other. After the death of his long-estranged father, Ethan returns to the tiny hometown he once escaped and has to confront his aunt (his father’s sister). The two are forced to confront the pain of the past and hopefully learn from it.
Casting the Show for Authenticity
In looking for the two leads in the play — Susan Sanford who plays Sarah, the vocal aunt, and Matt Meixler, who plays Ethan, — Hammerly searched for actors who could bring “a real sense of humanity to these characters; people you could believe had lived complicated lives, made mistakes and carried some scars with them,” she said.
To become these characters, the actors “must be able to move effortlessly between humor and heartbreak, often within the same scene, without ever losing the truth of the moment,” he continues. “Just as importantly, I needed actors who could genuinely listen to each other. So much of the play is about the relationship between these two people, and that relationship has to feel alive and evolving.”
Hammerly felt fortunate to find those qualities in Sanford and Meixler. “They have the range, the emotional honesty and the trust with one another to make the relationship feel completely real,” he says.
It was added bonus that the two actors had worked together previously in Virginia Rep’s production of Misery.
“They came into the room already knowing and trusting each other, which gave them a real shorthand as a team,” Hammerly says. “As a director, that kind of trust is a wonderful way to begin a rehearsal process.”
Finding Connection After Years of Discourse
At its core, Little Bear Ridge Road explores themes of loneliness, grief, family, forgiveness, and the need for human connection.
“Through Sarah and her nephew, Ethan, the play shows how difficult experiences can leave people isolated and struggling to find meaning. Their relationship demonstrates that even imperfect family connections can provide comfort, understanding, and hope,” Hammerly says. “Ultimately, the play suggests that we need other people to help us face life’s pain and find meaning in it.”
He enjoys directing the character-driven piece because there are no bells and whistles that overshadow the characters.
“That simplicity can be incredibly freeing and allows you to dig much deeper into the relationships and emotional world of the play,” he says.
He hopes that audiences end the night having been reminded of the importance of human connection.
“If audiences leave the theatre thinking a little differently about the people in their own lives, and perhaps feeling a little more connected to them, then I think we’ve done our job,” he says.
Content Warning: Little Bear Ridge Road contains mature themes and cautions for strong language, alcohol use, terminal illness, grief and past drug addiction.
Little Bear Ridge Road runs through Sunday, September 6 at the Theatre Gym in the November Theatre Complex. Tickets are available on Virginia Rep’s website.
