LITTLE BEAR RIDGE ROAD Previews- Page 2

[gibsons2]

Posted: 10/11/25 at 6:29pm

TheOtherOne2 said: "I saw it this afternoon as well, thanks to TDF listing it again at some point yesterday. The performances, particularly Metcalf's, are excellent, but I didn't care very much for the play overall. I found the lead character of Ethan more annoying than compelling, despite Stock's best efforts.

A disappointment."

I was there today too and hated the play. Even Laurie Metcalf couldn't save it. The main character Ethan was horrible and the lead actor chose to use Homer Simpson voice. Not a single emotion was earned. It was bad. Avoid.

Updated On: 10/11/25 at 06:29 PM

[RUkiddingme]

Posted: 10/13/25 at 10:46pm

While I didn't love this - I always recommend seeing Laurie Metcalf on stage.

What surprised me was from everything I heard I thought this was going to be a two-hander.  For me the real surprise was John Drea stealing every scene from Micah Stock.  A real find and I can't wait to see more of his work!

 

[TheOtherOne2]

Posted: 10/14/25 at 12:11am

RUkiddingme said: "While I didn't love this - I always recommendseeing Laurie Metcalf on stage.

What surprised me was from everything Iheard I thought this was going to be a two-hander. For me the real surprise was John Drea stealing every scene from Micah Stock. A real find and I can't wait to see more of his work!"

Yes, he was very good, and like you I had expected a two-hander.  

 

Updated On: 10/15/25 at 12:11 AM

[nycward]

Posted: 10/16/25 at 12:46am

I was there with my partner tonight and we both felt greatly rewarded. As others have said, it is indeed a small play with a minimal set but a play about the many levels of isolation and emotional paralysis really doesn't need more. This was beautifully and delicately executed  which had us laughing and ultimately crying as the evening reached its cathartic ending. I think the great reviews it received in Chicago will be matched here.

When I opened the program to the title page, unlike every other show that plays on Broadway, there weren't 20 some odd names as producers. There were only two "SCOTT RUDIN AND BARRY DILLER PRESENT." I thought I was back in my twenties when I would regularly read the likes of DAVID MERRICK or SAINT SUBBER PRESENTS. For you youngin's get over to that interweb and look him up:)

As for the history of Mr. Rudin, as a Psychotherapist I hope to see rehabilitation and I will trust that he has returned wiser and in better control of his aggressive impulses. If not...well then he can go f...k himself!!! But returning with this little gem of an emotionally rich play seems like a humble and appropriate return. We shall see, won't we?

Updated On: 10/16/25 at 12:46 AM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 10/19/25 at 4:26pm

This was absolutely phenomenal. One of the best things I’ve seen this year. Stock and Metcalf are giving unforgettable, heartbreaking performances. Don’t miss it.

Hot take, but if this play is any indication of the quality of productions Rudin plans on mounting, I say bring it on. 

Updated On: 10/19/25 at 04:26 PM

[sinister teashop]

Posted: 10/19/25 at 8:13pm

WiCkEDrOcKS said: "Hot take, but if this play is any indication of the qualityof productionsRudin plans on mounting, I say bring it on."
 

The play is a Steppenwolf production, developed solely with resources connected to Stepppenwolf, I believe. Rudin, Diller are producing its New York run. 

I agree, it is excellent, not a weak link in the whole production.

[Marcus Lycus]

Posted: 10/19/25 at 9:47pm

WiCkEDrOcKS said: "Hot take, but if this play is any indication of the quality of productions Rudin plans on mounting, I say bring it on."

What We Did Before Our Moth Days, Montauk, Cottonfield, and Death of a Salesman coming very soon

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 10/19/25 at 10:52pm

WiCkEDrOcKS said: "This was absolutely phenomenal. One of the best things I’ve seen this year. Stock and Metcalf are giving unforgettable,heartbreakingperformances. Don’t miss it.

Hot take, but if this play is any indication of the qualityof productionsRudin plans on mounting, I say bring it on."

Lewiston/Clarkston, and A Case for the Existence of God, are two of my favorite theatrical experiences ever. I am a HUGE fan of Hunter and will see anything he writes. The way he mines the human condition via these unremarkable but remarkable Idaho characters-- i think hes brilliant.

and this play has its brilliant moments. its definitely FUNNIER than anything i ever remember him writing. i cant put my finger on what i found disappointing in it, but ill try:

the last scene was a gut punch for me, that last line. beautiful. but i guess i found the actual dialogue there underwhelming. i also didnt love the staging- it seems like a few actual set pieces wouldnt be too onerous given the minimal locales in the play. but i guess what was most difficult for me was Micah Stock- who is clearly a brilliant actor, and who really commits, and who has a few brilliant moments going toe to toe with Queen Laurie Metcalf, so I don't want to undersell his talent here. And I can't say hes "miscast" since hes been with the show from the beginning and clearly has a direct line to what Hunter was going for. But his affect, the way his character expresses himself- i found it very hard to connect with (and Hunter is a master of making all his characters sympathetic and knowable). It put the relationship with Sarah out of balance, and even more so with James.

STILL theres alot ot like here. Metcalf isnt doing anything I havent seen her do before but shes doing it really well--and it feels like the dialogue was written for her and no one else. Lots of big laugh applause lines (stranger for a Hunter play but he nails it). She (and Stock) had the audience eating out of the palm of their hands almost from the jump. 

Sad to see the mezzanine so empty, but we were far right Row B and saw everything perfectly. 

[TheOtherOne2]

Posted: 10/20/25 at 4:32am

"i cant put my finger on what i found disappointing in it, but ill try:"

The lead character is a bore?

"i guess what was most difficult for me was Micah Stock- who is clearly a brilliant actor, and who really commits, and who has a few brilliant moments going toe to toe with Queen Laurie Metcalf, so I don't want to undersell his talent here. And I can't say hes "miscast" since hes been with the show from the beginning and clearly has a direct line to what Hunter was going for. But his affect, the way his character expresses himself- i found it very hard to connect with (and Hunter is a master of making all his characters sympathetic and knowable). It put the relationship with Sarah out of balance, and even more so with James."

This says it all. He isn't a likable or, more damagingly, interesting person.  You're relieved when one character finally gets rid of him and you're sorry that the other one doesn't.  Not a person to build a play around.  

Updated On: 10/20/25 at 04:32 AM

[gibsons2]

Posted: 10/20/25 at 7:16am

sinister teashop said: "WiCkEDrOcKS said: "Hot take, but if this play is any indication of the qualityof productionsRudin plans on mounting, I say bring it on."


The play is a Steppenwolf production, developed solely with resources connected to Stepppenwolf, I believe. Rudin, Diller are producing its New York run.

I agree, itis excellent, not a weak link in the whole production."

Except the play itself is boring, mundane drivel and has nothing new to say. I don't know if Micah was directed to act the way he did in the early previews but this is some of the worst acting I've seen on stage. Absolutely dreadful. 

Updated On: 10/20/25 at 07:16 AM

[ER765]

Posted: 10/20/25 at 7:29am

Oh, please. Give me a break.  

If Stock’s performance is “some of the worst acting” you’ve “ever seen onstage”, you need to see more theater. 

And we heard you say you hated the show the first time. Got it. 🙄 

[quizking101]

Posted: 10/20/25 at 8:42am

I saw this last night and I honestly found it very compelling. Hunter knows how to write damaged characters that allow an actor to explore their psyche as opposed to using the text to beat us over the head with it. The first scene is a slow burn but  it sets us up for a great play that moves at a clip.

I think this is one of the first plays (that I’ve seen) that actually (albeit indirectly) addresses how the pandemic compounded  already existing issues of loneliness and mental health in some people. It fed very well into the narrative that, despite being family, these are two characters who have spent a majority of their lives feeling like they have to fend for themselves and so reject the potential notion of others caring about them and breaking down the walls they have built to protect themselves.

Metcalf and Stock are delivering very real performances. Metcalf is squarely in her bag as a tough working class woman, but Stock is able to match her beat for beat in landing both the deadpan comedy (which there was a surprising amount of) and the dramatic struggle of being in an isolation that is partly his own making. It made for a fascinating character study. Also, MAJOR shoutout to John Drea for doing great work as the boyfriend, and having great chemistry with Stock.

Overall, this is one of those great new works that people complain are missing from Broadway amidst a sea of revivals and adapted IPs. It is a downer at many points, but don’t let this slip past your radar. The mezzanine was about 40% full, so tickets are abundant. I strongly recommend you go see this.

[sinister teashop]

Posted: 10/20/25 at 8:45am

gibsons2 said: "sinister teashop said: "WiCkEDrOcKS said: "Hot take, but if this play is any indication of the qualityof productionsRudin plans on mounting, I say bring it on."


The play is a Steppenwolf production, developed solely with resources connected to Stepppenwolf, I believe. Rudin, Diller are producing its New York run.

I agree, itis excellent, not a weak link in the whole production."

Except the play itself is boring, mundane drivel and has nothing new to say. I don't know if Micah was directed to act the way he did in the early previews but this is some of the worst acting I've seen on stage. Absolutely dreadful."

I believe that you were bored but I was not, so the play is not objectively boring. It wasn’t mundane to me as I don’t live in rural Idaho and my father wasn’t a meth addict. It depicted gay male love on a Broadway stage in a way that I had not seen before so In that sense it did say something new to me. 
 
The three Hunter plays I have seen are about character revelation and not an audience’s suspense anticipation of what happens next. That's neither less nor more appropriate a theatrical form as anything else. But here, on a Broadway stage no less (though a smaller one) it is handled beautifully. 

Updated On: 10/20/25 at 08:45 AM

[quizking101]

Posted: 10/20/25 at 10:42am

 

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sinister teashop said: "I believe that you were bored but I was not, so the play is not objectively boring. It wasn’t mundane to me as I don’t live in rural Idaho and my father wasn’t a meth addict. It depicted gay male love on a Broadway stage in a way that I had not seen before so In that sense it did say something new to me.

The three Hunter plays I have seen are about character revelation and not an audience’s suspense anticipation of what happens next. That's neither less nor more appropriate a theatrical form as anything else. But here, on a Broadway stage no less (though a smaller one) it is handled beautifully."

THIS!!! It’s always refreshing to see this type of play because I’m such a sucker for characters who have psyches that I can mine for analysis.

[raddersons]

Posted: 10/20/25 at 12:00pm

The writing is there and extremely thought provoking, but wow I thought Micah Stock was godawful and dragged down the whole show.

[jbm2]

Posted: 10/21/25 at 12:40pm

How appropriate is the chauffeur a teenager?

[quizking101]

Posted: 10/21/25 at 12:53pm

jbm2 said: "How appropriate is the chauffeur a teenager?"

Dictation issue aside, I think it’s perfectly fine for a teenager, but with teenagers, it’s a mileage-may-vary situation. They may not want to see a moderately intense chamber drama with a minimal set and two actors. Then again, they may love it.

[TheOtherOne2]

Posted: 10/21/25 at 4:15pm

quizking101 said: "jbm2 said: "How appropriate is the chauffeur a teenager?"

Dictation issue aside, I think it’s perfectly fine for a teenager, but with teenagers, it’s a mileage-may-vary situation. They may not want to see a moderately intense chamber drama with a minimal set and two actors. Then again, they may love it."

It has four actors, three of whom play substantial roles. I don’t remember anything inappropriate being said, but I wasn’t listening to it with that in mind, either.

I do love quizking’s voice text!

 

[UWS10023]

Posted: 10/21/25 at 5:41pm

The production is well acted and well directed. The script has several themes that will remain with you. 

[macbeth]

Posted: 10/24/25 at 8:57am

Saw Little Bear Ridge Road tonight — and I’m still not entirely sure what to make of it.

Laurie Metcalf delivers exactly what you’d expect: razor-sharp timing, emotional control, and those small physical moments that pull you in. You can feel her building a whole internal life for this character, even when the play doesn’t always give her much to work with.

Micah Stock, on the other hand… I’m not sure what show he’s in. His choices are bold — that much is clear — but they felt like they belonged to a completely different tone than Metcalf’s. There’s an odd, heightened quality to his delivery that makes it hard to connect to anything emotionally real. I spent a lot of the play trying to decode why he was speaking and moving the way he was. Was it a character choice? A directorial concept? Either way, it pulled me out of the story again and again.

[TheOtherOne2]

Posted: 10/24/25 at 10:31am

“Micah Stock, on the other hand… I’m not sure what show he’s in. His choices are bold — that much is clear — but they felt like they belonged to a completely different tone than Metcalf’s. There’s an odd, heightened quality to his delivery that makes it hard to connect to anything emotionally real. I spent a lot of the play trying to decode why he was speaking and moving the way he was. Was it a character choice? A directorial concept? Either way, it pulled me out of the story again and again.“

I thought this was more a character issue than an actor issue. The character as we experience him in this play is so bogged down in self-pity; he enters at a dead end and seems incapable of moving on. For me, it defeated the play. What do we get out of spending time with him?
 

It surprises me that anyone thinks we are looking at a worthy relationship between him and the young man he hooks up with. That character, with a lot less time, proved a lot more interesting, and it’s impossible not to want him to move on from Ethan. 

Updated On: 10/29/25 at 10:31 AM

[TheOtherOne2]

Posted: 10/24/25 at 10:35am

TheOtherOne2 said: "“Micah Stock, on the other hand… I’m not sure what show he’s in. His choices are bold — that much is clear — but they felt like they belonged to a completely different tone than Metcalf’s. There’s an odd, heightened quality to his delivery that makes it hard to connect to anything emotionally real. I spent a lot of the play trying to decodewhyhe was speaking and moving the way he was. Was it a character choice? A directorial concept? Either way, it pulled me outof the story again and again.“

I thought this was more a character issue than an actor one, but perhaps those of you who are questioning Micah Stock’s performance are onto something. The character as we experience him in this play is so bogged down in self-pity that he enters at a dead end and never moves on. For me, it defeated the play. What do we get out of spending time with him?


It surprises me that anyone thinks we are looking at a worthy relationship between him and the young man he hooks up with. That character, with a lot less time, proved a lot more interesting, and it’s impossible not to want him to move on from Ethan.

(Sorry, I mistakenly repeated my post.)
 

Updated On: 10/24/25 at 10:35 AM

[quizking101]

Posted: 10/24/25 at 11:11am

TheOtherOne2 said: "it surprises me that anyone thinks we are looking at a worthy relationship between him and the young man he hooks up with. That character, with a lot less time, proved a lot more interesting, and it’s impossible not to want him to move on from Ethan."

Everyone is worthy of love and connection, and the boyfriend character is meant to serve as a potential means of growth for Ethan after years of turning inside himself from a lifetime of trauma. However, part of the struggle for Ethan is that he doesn’t understand what love looks like when it’s not attached to a transaction of sorts (dad looking for meth money, ex-partner being emotionally/financially abusive) and so he isn’t able to get out of his own way. As much as his current toxic  circumstances are keeping him in a state of arrested development, he finds comfort in the devil he knows and fears the unknown 

[sinister teashop]

Posted: 10/24/25 at 11:17am

In a drama, I would say what we might get out of characters who are unpleasant and perhaps in stasis would be the ability to see parts of ourselves in them.

 

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Ethan’s relationship to Sarah is layered. He ends up caring for her but he is also using her to avoid the work he needs to do on himself. Sarah’s acknowledgement of this at the end and her dismissal of him is an act of love and courage. This resonated with the friend I saw the show with who is in a longterm caregiver relationship.

 

Updated On: 10/24/25 at 11:17 AM

[gibsons2]

Posted: 10/24/25 at 11:29am

TheOtherOne2 said: "“Micah Stock, on the other hand… I’m not sure what show he’s in. His choices are bold — that much is clear — but they felt like they belonged to a completely different tone than Metcalf’s. There’s an odd, heightened quality to his delivery that makes it hard to connect to anything emotionally real. I spent a lot of the play trying to decodewhyhe was speaking and moving the way he was. Was it a character choice? A directorial concept? Either way, it pulled me outof the story again and again.“

I thought this was more a character issue than an actor one, but perhaps those of you are a questioning Micah Stock’s performance are onto something. The character as we experience him in this play is so bogged down in self-pity that he enters at a dead end and never moves on from it. For me, it defeated the play. What do we get out ofspending time with him?


it surprises me that anyone thinks we are looking at a worthy relationship between him and the young man he hooks up with. That character, with a lot less time, proved a lot more interesting, and it’s impossible not to want him to move on from Ethan."

It's a pretty straightforward, not very original play. The analysis of Ethan's character some people are trying to do here is a bit too much, given how many times we've seen this petulant, insufferable archetype in all types of media. The issue is in fact with the actor's delivery, the way he speaks and moves. None of these choices are helping. In fact, Micah's entire weird performance makes the play not believable and lacking any credibility.

Updated On: 10/24/25 at 11:29 AM