For such an intimate little theatre tucked away in a row of shops in Mount Juliet–just fifteen minutes from downtown Nashville–Playhouse 615 frequently presents a wide variety of plays throughout each theatre season ranging from farce to drama, camp to classics. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that for their latest production they’re presenting the bold, character-driven story of The Little Foxes, Lillian Hellman’s searing portrait of greed, power, and family dynamics. In this Rapid Fire 20Q, we catch up with cast members Ann Street-Kavanagh, Zoë Garner, Phil Brady, and Gwendolyn Clinton as they dive into their roles, reflect on this particular production’s modern lens, touch on a bit of familial nepotism and unpack what makes this American classic continue to resonate with audiences today.
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RAPID FIRE 20Q WITH CAST OF PLAYHOUSE 615’s THE LITTLE FOXES
RAPID FIRE WITH THE LITTLE FOXES’ REGINA GIDDENS, ANN STREET-KAVANAGH
JHPENTERTAINMENT: The Little Foxes‘ Regina Giddens is one of the great roles in the American theatre canon. As a co-founder of Playhouse 615, I gotta ask…were you always gonna play Regina or did you actually have to audition for the role alongside others?
ANN STREET KAVANAGH: Actually, the show was chosen for [another actress], as Regina. We are huge fans of her talent, and consider her theatre royalty in Nashville. Unfortunately, she decided to step down for personal reasons. At Playhouse 615, I always audition for any role I play. I would like to think that my work stands for itself, and that I don’t need to “call dibs” on a role in order to be cast.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: What was it about The Little Foxes that made it feel like the right choice for this particular season?
ANN STREET KAVANAGH: We always include a play of classic genre. The story is a powerful look at family dynamics and could be set in any time period and still be relevant.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: On that subject, in a recent post on Playhouse 615’s social media, it was revealed that co-directors Joel Meriweather and Preston Alexander Raymer have reimagined Hellman’s classic through a “sharp, modern lens.” As a huge fan of the 1941 film version of The Little Foxes, which kept the story in its original 1900 timeframe, as did 2017’s Broadway revival… should I be worried?
ANN STREET KAVANAGH: You shouldn’t be worried at all! The script itself is intact other than a few minor things to update monetary amounts, etc.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Regina is ruthless, brilliant, and endlessly calculating. What have you discovered about her motivations while working through Lillian Hellman’s script that surprised you the most?
ANN STREET KAVANAGH: That beyond being ruthless, brilliant, and endlessly calculating, she’s just really selfish to the core. She wants “things” and isn’t too interested in relationships of any kind unless they bring her more material things and a standing in society.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: While Tallulah Bankhead first brought Hellman’s Regina to fire-breathing life on the stage in 1939, it’s arguably Bette Davis’ turn in the film that’s most associated with the role. Of course Laura Linney and Cynthia Nixon alternated in the role during its most recent Broadway revival. So, what’s it like taking your place among these powerhouses of stage and screen as you put your touch on the legendary role of Regina Giddens??
ANN STREET KAVANAGH: Some powerhouse women indeed! Of course, I’d seen The Little Foxes, but that was years ago. I try to never watch someone else’s performance while in rehearsals. I want to explore the character without influence. I am delighted to add this character to my resume! As someone who usually does comedy, it’s been refreshing to play a villian, of sorts. I closed Birthday Candles at Lakewood Theatre about 2 weeks ago, so to jump from playing a very pleasant, loving woman to one who is only pleasant when it suits her, has been a lot of fun!
RAPID FIRE WITH THE LITTLE FOXES‘ ALEXANDRA GIDDENS, ZOË GARNER
JHPENTERTAINMENT: After spending much of your youth on stage, then stepping away from acting for a while, what made now the right moment—and Alexandra in Playhouse 615’s The Little Foxes the right role—to return to acting?
ZOË GARNER: It was always my intention to return to the stage when life calmed down enough for me. After living abroad for a while and finally being free from night shifts I was keeping an eye out everywhere for a place to start again. Joel is a director I worked with a long time ago when I had first started acting. It felt like a natural fit to try and work with him again to shake off the rust.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: How do you approach portraying Alexandra’s transformative moral awakening over the course of The Little Foxes?
ZOË GARNER: I feel it’s like waking up from a daydream. When you’re young you’re used to people telling you not to worry about it. Especially about the challenging and often times emotionally charged interactions that come from adult relationships. At some point though you have to realize that looking away and pretending it’s not your problem is only going to cause you other problems. So it’s like waking up, not from a dead sleep, but from something you didn’t want to see.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: You’re sharing the stage with Ann Street Kavanagh as Regina—Alexandra’s formidable mother. What has that dynamic been like both in rehearsal and off-stage?
ZOË GARNER: It’s cliche to say but it’s honestly it’s been a privilege to share the stage with her. I spent so much of my childhood acting up with older, more accomplished actresses. And now I feel like I’m standing side by side with fantastic scene partners. Being able to go from stupid jokes and gags backstage to intense on stage confrontations without batting an eye feels natural and exciting.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: This production also marks your first time working with Playhouse 615. What has the experience with the company been like so far?
ZOË GARNER: It feels like the type of home that theatre has always felt like. Well, the type good theatres feel like! There’s also an attention to the safety and comfort of the actors that I appreciate.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Alexandra ultimately chooses a very different path than the rest of her family. What do you hope modern audiences—watching this story unfold in 2026—take away from her journey?
ZOË GARNER: As the daughter of a mother or a son of a father or a child of a parent we don’t have to obey just because we always have. Because it’s the path of least resistance. If it’s something you believe in strongly, it’s not too late to talk back. Your family is who you choose it to be, not just who tells you what to do.
RAPID FIRE WITH THE LITTLE FOXES‘ OSCAR HUBBARD, PHIL BRADY
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Let’s start with the obvious question—how is it possible this is your first show with Playhouse 615?
PHIL BRADY: I’ve done shows with Joel and Ann in the past, but the drive from almost Bellevue to Mt. Juliet at rush hour for rehearsal has kept me away.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Oscar Hubbard is one of the more openly unpleasant characters in The Little Foxes. When you first read the script, what stood out to you about him?
PHIL BRADY: I noticed how determined he was to secure his son’s future and to take every advantage to make it happen even if it meant putting Leo in the same situation as himself: marrying for money.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Hellman gives Oscar some brutally revealing dialogue about power, money, and entitlement. Is there a particular bit of dialogue that you love delivering within the script?
PHIL BRADY: My favorite section is when he and Leo are coming to agreement about getting his uncle to “lend” him bonds to make the cotton mill deal. The line that I think sums up the Hubbard phylosophy: “People aught to help other people, but that’s not always the way it happens. And so sometimes you have to think of yourself.”
JHPENTERTAINMENT: How do you find the balance between leaning into Oscar’s villainy and making him feel like a real person?
PHIL BRADY: Oscar is like all of us: a product of his circumstances and choices; so both his villainy and better self work to achieve his goals.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: At its core, The Little Foxes is about the corrosive nature of ambition. Where do you see Oscar fitting into that larger moral ecosystem of the Hubbard family?
PHIL BRADY: I see Oscar as the blue heeler that tries to herd the family into prosperity.
RAPID FIRE WITH THE LITTLE FOXES’ ADDIE, GWENDOLYN CLINTON
JHPENTERTAINMENT: If memory serves, Playhouse 615 audiences first saw you as Calliope in Lysistrata, you stage managed their Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf, and appeared as Kate in Good People last fall, now you’re back onstage…this time as Addie in The Little Foxes. How has that journey—from performer to backstage collaborator and back again—shaped the way you approach this role with this company?
GWENDOLYN CLINTON: I am someone who works better when I know the why of how things are done. Working back of house is a great way to learn the why of theater and to appreciate the importance of every part of the production. I think theater is magic and I love the opportunity to peek behind the curtain and learn the tricks. Being back onstage fuels my soul and having the backstage experience makes me want to do my best and do my part to make the production the best it can be.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Addie is sometimes discussed in the context of the “mammy” trope in American drama, yet in Hellman’s script she also serves as the play’s moral compass. How did you approach honoring the full scope and complexity of the character?
GWENDOLYN CLINTON: The mammy trope is a complicated one. While their existence was belittled and mocked for entertainment purposes, these women did exist. They took care of the households and mothered other people’s children while their own children were often in the fields working under extremely harsh conditions. My approach to Addie is to treat her character with the respect she deserved while also showing the toll this type of work took on these women physically and emotionally.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Exploring that a bit more…What does it mean to portray Addie in 2026—nearly a century after the play premiered—especially given how conversations about representation and historical context have evolved?
GWENDOLYN CLINTON: It makes me proud. Women like Addie existed and I think it’s important to tell their stories with the respect they deserve. The opportunity to play Addie in 2026 allows me to breathe more complexity into the character.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Much of Addie’s power comes from observation and restraint rather than big speeches. How do you build that quiet strength and watchful presence onstage?
GWENDOLYN CLINTON: The best way for me to do this is to truly understand who Addie is as a person, examines her relationships with those she interacts with, and to understand her motivations. This helps me to not waste a single moment onstage. Silence speaks volumes and I want Addie’s to be deafening.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Your background includes years as a Latin dance teacher, performer, and touring company director. Do any of those movement or storytelling instincts carry over into the way you inhabit a character like Addie?
GWENDOLYN CLINTON: Absolutely. The different rhythms of latin music is what I connect to when dancing. Those rhythms tell a story that is important when translating those stories into dance. Understanding Addie and connecting to the rhythm of her life is the best thing I can do to help tell her story.
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Playhouse 615’s production of The Little Foxes runs March 20 through April 5, with performances held at Playhouse 615 11920 Lebanon Rd, Mount Juliet, TN. Friday and Saturday Evening performances begin at 7:30 PM, with Sunday matinee performances at 2:30 PM. Tickets are $17 for Seniors/Military and $20 for Adults. All tickets are General Admission. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets or call the box office at 615.319.7031. Whether you’re revisiting this American classic or experiencing it for the first time, this sharp, modern staging promises an interesting night of theatre just outside Nashville.
Next up at Playhouse 615 is God of Carnage onstage May 1-17, followed by Ain’t Misbehavin’ June 5-21 and Agatha Christie‘s The Unexpected Guest on-stage July 17-August 2. For more from Playhouse 615, check out their website or follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
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