Origins Commissioned by
Steppenwolf Theatre Company as a vehicle for
Laurie Metcalf's return to her hometown theater, the play was workshopped at Steppenwolf in
Chicago,
Illinois in 2023. It won the 2024
Jeff Award for New Work. Hunter stated that his initial point of inspiration for
Little Bear Ridge Road was to write a play about people watching television, and that the pandemic setting was only added once he started writing the play in 2023, reflecting how "we all retreated to our screens" when the
COVID-19 pandemic began. According to Hunter, he decided to focus on the relationship between an aunt and nephew mourning a patriarch, as opposed to that of a mother and son, because "I've never really seen this relationship explored specifically in a play." He stated that specificity of Sarah and Ethan's relationship "could be really close, or almost strangers." Joe Mantello directed a 2025
Broadway production with Laurie Metcalf returning as Sarah. Previews began on October 7, 2025, and opening night was October 30.
Scott Rudin and
Barry Diller were the producers, a controversial decision after reports of past abusive behavior from Rudin. The production closed on December 21, 2025, citing financial reasons. The week after opening, box office receipts peaked at $528,181 and then slowly declined to $422,091 in mid-December 2025. At that point, only 68 percent of seats were filled. The show costs just over $500,000 per week to run in the theater. == Cast and characters ==