Guide to ‘Little Bear Ridge Road’ on Broadway starring Laurie Metcalf

A young man (Micah Stock) grieving the death of his father arrives at his aunt’s (Laurie Metcalf) home outside Moscow, Idaho, where they confront their tangled history and seek a connection. Along the way, the estranged family members reckon with grief, loneliness, and emotional distance.

Little Bear Ridge Road is at the Booth Theatre, located at 222 W 45th St. between Seventh and Eighth Avenues.

The venue opened in 1913 and was named for Edwin Booth, the brother of the notorious John Wilkes Booth. Plays and musicals that have run recently at the venue include John Proctor Is the Villain, The Roommate, and Kimberly Akimbo.

Little Bear Ridge Road runs 1 hour and 35 minutes, with no intermission. This is a typical Broadway play length, as plays generally run anywhere from 90 minutes to 3 hours. Longer shows usually have a 15- or 20-minute intermission.

Little Bear Ridge Road plays Tuesday through Sunday, with two performances on Wednesdays and Saturdays and no performances on Mondays. This schedule is subject to one-off changes, particularly around holidays; please visit the Little Bear Ridge Road page for a complete performance calendar.

Little Bear Ridge Road made its world premiere in June 2024 at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, a renowned ensemble theatre that champions innovative productions and powerful acting, and which produces many shows that go on to Broadway.

The Broadway transfer of Little Bear Ridge Road debuts on October 7 at the Booth Theatre with the whole company intact: cast members Laurie Metcalf, Micah Stock, John Drea, and Meighan Gerachis under the direction of Joe Mantello.

Samuel D. Hunter wrote Little Bear Ridge Road. The playwright from Moscow, Idaho, emerged on the theatre scene with his debut play I Am Montana in 2009 and has since won Obie, Drama Desk, and Lucille Lortel Awards and a 2014 MacArthur “Genius” Grant. He's best known for A Bright New Boise, Lewiston/Clarkston, A Case for the Existence of God, and The Whale, which he adapted into an Oscar-winning 2022 film starring Brendan Fraser and directed by Darren Aronofsky.

Hunter's plays are often set in Idaho and explore isolation, faith, and human dignity. Little Bear Ridge Road marks his first collaboration with two-time Tony-winning director Mantello (Take Me Out, Assassins, Wicked).

In Little Bear Ridge Road, two family members seek to sort their tangled history — and face the future. The cast arrives on Broadway intact from the play's premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago.

• Sarah: An independent woman who lives in small-town Idaho and works as a nurse at a hospital. She is played by Laurie Metcalf, a four-time Emmy winner (Roseanne, Hacks), two-time Tony winner (A Doll’s House, Part 2; Three Tall Women), and Oscar nominee (Lady Bird) acclaimed for her sharp, emotionally layered stage and screen performances.
• Ethan: A rudderless writer who recently broke up with an abusive boyfriend and has traveled back to Idaho to settle the affairs of his late, troubled father. He is played by Micah Stock, a Tony Award nominee and Theatre World Award winner for It’s Only a Play. His TV credits include The Right Stuff, Kindred, and Bonding.
• James: A University of Idaho astrophysics grad student who meets Ethan. He is played by John Drea, who makes his Broadway debut.
• Paulette: A nurse played by Broadway newcomer Meighan Gerachis.

Little Bear Ridge Road has only had two major productions so far: its world premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago from June 13 to August 4, 2024; and the Broadway premiere beginning October 7, 2025 at the Booth Theatre.

The world-premiere run of Little Bear Ridge Road in Chicago won three Joseph Jefferson, or Jeff, Awards: Best New Work, Best Director of a Play (Joe Mantello), and Best Performer in a Principal Role (Laurie Metcalf).

The Broadway production of Little Bear Ridge Road has not yet received awards, but it will be eligible for the 2025-26 season's upcoming honors, including Tony Awards.

From the play’s title to the story’s setting to the character dynamics, learn more fun facts about the show.

• Little Bear Ridge Road was commissioned by Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company specifically as a vehicle for Metcalf’s return to her hometown theatre.
• The title comes from the actual location of Hunter’s family home, where he drafted the play.
• Hunter chose to focus on an aunt/nephew duo instead of parent/child because it’s a dramatic road less traveled.
• Scott Pask’s minimal scenic design — a couch atop a circle of carpet — leaves room to suggest various locales. And Heather Gilbert's lighting resembles a starry sky, suggesting the tension between the characters' small, isolated lives and the vastness of the world.

Hunter excels at capturing fragile bonds that hold people together. Little Bear Ridge Road offers a powerful opportunity for him — and audiences — to go down that path in a fresh way.

Get Little Bear Ridge Road tickets now.