Little Bear Ridge - Theaterworks Hartford

The play Little Bear Ridge Road had a short-lived production on Broadway with the formidable Laurie Metcalf as one of the lead performers.   But this small-scale show was engulfed by the large Broadway stage, blunting its message of hope and perseverance.  However, the work is a perfect fit for Theaterworks Hartford, where it plays through November 8.  The play, with one main set of a comfortable couch, brings the audience front and center to the action.  At times, you feel like you are a part of the household up on Bear Ridge Road.

Denise Cormier and Mishka Yarovoy in Little Bear Ridge Road.  Photo by Curtis Brown.

However, the play, written by Samuel D. Hunter, is disappointing.  I just wasn’t swept up in this slice-of-life melodrama where characters complain, shout, and try to move forward with their lives. 

The plot is simple.  Ethan, a failed writer living in Seattle who has completed his MFA degree in creative writing, has little self-esteem and is searching for his place in society.  Sarah, his aunt, is independent and opinionated and wants to be left alone.  Their lives converge when the young man arrives at her home in Idaho.  Ethan’s father, whom he has rarely spoken to, has recently passed away, and he is in town to settle his meager estate.  Their initial meeting is tentative and exploratory.  Soon, what was to be a quick visit ends up being a two-year stay.  Their hesitancy with each other grows into trust and a somewhat dependency.  Ethan is still on a journey of self-discovery, which includes a romance with James, someone he meets in town.  As the play comes to its conclusion, the lives of all three protagonists have evolved – Ethan has returned to Seattle and started writing again; his relationship with Jame has ended, and he is now in Chicago pursuing a Doctorate in Astrophyiscs; and Sarah, suffering from the ravages of cancer, spends her last moments at home with an in-home care aide.

Travis Anderson and Mishka Yarovoy in Little Bear Ridge Road.  Photo by Curtis Brown.

 

Director Rob Ruggiero keeps the interactions close, mixing tense scenes with flashes of pathos.  He perfectly layers into the production Michael Schweikardt’s Scenic Design, which is transformed throughout the show by Matthew Richards’  vivid Lighting Design and Camilla Tassi’s naturalistic Projection Design.  The paper mâché-like background morphs into a mountain landscape, a starry evening sky, and a neighborhood tavern.

The cast gives a straightforward rendering of their characters.  Denise Cormier is matter-of-fact as Sarah, but the actress adeptly, almost imperceptibly, moves from her preference for solace to favoring the human connection.  She conveys anger without being overwrought.  Mishka Yarovoy is called upon to display a diverse set of passions and sensations for Ethan.  Occasionally, the actor becomes too agitated in showing his grief and displeasure with his stance in life.  Travis Anderson’s James presents a fine portrayal of a fish out of water who, in some respects like Ethan, is trying to find his place in the universe.  The well-traveled actress Janelle Anne Robinson, in a very small role as an in-house care provider, delivers a caring, final punctuation mark to the production.

Mishka Yarovoy, Denise Cormier and Travis Anderson in Little Bear Ridge Road.  Photo by Curtis Brown.

Little Bear Ridge Road, playing at Theaterworks Hartford through November 8.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.