Review: THE LITTLE FOXES at Intiman Theatre

It’s spooky season, and what’s spookier than a wealthy, greedy family willing to do anything to fulfill their selfish desires? Moral decay lies at the heart of Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes, now performing at Intiman Theatre in a production by The Feast. When it premiered in 1939, it shocked audiences with its depiction of avarice, corruption, and gendered power in the American South. Nearly a century later, those same themes still resonate. 

Set in the early 20th-century South, The Little Foxes follows the ruthless and rich Giddens and Hubbard families as they scheme to secure a lucrative business deal that will make them even wealthier. At the center is Regina Giddens (Alexandra Tavares), a woman denied her share of the family fortune because of her gender, who manipulates her ailing husband Horace (Brandon J. Simmons) and conspires against her brothers Benjamin (Jomar Tagatac) and Oscar (Bradley Wrenn) to claim what she believes she deserves. When Horace discovers their deceit, his attempt to expose them backfires, leaving Regina both triumphant and alone. Directed by Ryan Guzzo Purcell, Hellman’s story unfolds as a tightly coiled family drama about the corrosive pursuit of power (think “Succession” of the South).

This production, we are told explicitly at the top of the performance by the cast, has been staged in modern times, with Hellman’s text remaining untouched. Early on, that choice feels jarring. The characters speak in the unfiltered language of the early 20th century, including the very casual use of racial slurs. The actors acknowledge this before the show begins, inviting the audience to stay or step out if needed. It’s an unnerving preface, and immediately makes buy-in from audiences tough. But gradually, due to the show’s excellent storytelling and performance by the cast, the buy-in happens. At the core of this show are the stellar performances, so bear with me as I break down what worked (and where there are [albeit few] opportunities for improvement).

Alexandra Tavares plays the protagonist Regina Giddens with precision. Her Regina is cold when she needs to be, vulnerable when it serves her, and achingly human in flashes she can’t suppress. It’s a towering performance—restrained, magnetic, and endlessly watchable. As Regina’s ailing husband Horace, Brandon J. Simmons gives an equally powerful turn. As Horace, Simmons exudes quiet moral strength, a testament to his acting chops. He doesn’t need to yell to command attention. Though his physical health is feeble, his mind is sharp. Simmons also plays William Marshall, a Chicago businessman who dangles the carrot of freedom with promises of a new life. As this other role, he’s suave and self-assured, proof of how effortlessly he shifts between characters without ever losing nuance. As Birdie (Regina’s sister-in-law), Brenda Joyner gives a heartbreaking performance, a woman trapped in a marriage she knows will destroy her. Joyner’s Birdie is tragic not because she’s weak, but because she sees her own undoing with perfect clarity. Bradley Wrenn’s Oscar, Birdie’s husband, is all bluster and pride. He’s a man who mistakes aggression for control, but he doesn’t play the role like an oaf. He’s trying to keep up with everyone else, but just falls short.  

Arguably the most insidious amongst the Hubbards is Benjamin, played by Jomar Tagatac. He is charming, silver-tongued, and uncomfortably likable (he’s funny!), which makes his manipulation all the more malevolent. Brodrick Santeze Ryans moves seamlessly between two roles—Leo Hubbard, the spoiled son, and Cal, the family’s domestic worker—offering a subtle, sophisticated performance that underscores how both characters are trapped by different kinds of expectation. Ally Poole’s Addie, the family's other domestic worker, provides the production’s moral compass. As maternal Addie, she is grounded but understandably concerned and upset by the goings-on within the confines of the house where she works. She also has a beautiful singing voice. 

If there’s one performance that didn’t entirely work for me, it comes from Nabilah Ahmed as Regina and Horace’s daughter, Alexandra Giddens. Props to her for playing piano live on stage, but the acting feels somewhat heightened compared to her castmates’ more nuanced performances. Alexandra’s character arc is supposed to take her from naive to clear-eyed about the moral depravity of her family. But it doesn’t quite land. That said, Ahmed’s sincerity ensures the character remains sympathetic.

Julia Hayes Welch’s scenic design uses the theater-in-the-round to stunning effect. The checkered marble floor becomes both a symbol and a stage for power plays, suggesting elegance and entrapment all at once. This story is, after all, a game of chess. Erin Bednarz’s sound design is intentionally spare, often blurring the line between environmental noise and silence (sometimes too subtly). The voyeuristic feeling works for a show about familial backstabbing. 

My biggest issue with this show was having it market itself as a modern interpretation. If you put your stake in the ground as such, you should really go for it. Other than the costumes and the piano being electric, nothing else feels especially tethered to a specific time. The modernization neither reframes the power structures nor highlights new social commentary–familial greed and the depravity of the wealthy is a tale as old as time. And, if you’re going to keep the very jarring racial epithets in the dialogue without a new lens, why not just have the entire show stay true to the classic telling? I think this production had the opportunity to lean in more with a modern retelling, but this just dipped a toe in. That said, the performances are so good that, not too long into the production, that disconnect of when this story takes place stops being important. 

Ultimately, watching a rich family stab each other in the back over money, when done compellingly, will be a hit every time. The Feast’s production of The Little Foxes at Intiman is a hit. These performances are just that good. It’s not a comfortable evening, but it is a worthwhile one.

Grade: A-

The Little Foxes performs at the Intiman Theatre through November 2nd, 2025. For tickets and information, visit https://www.intiman.org/little-foxes/.