I am also in N. VA and we grow hostas and azeleas in the shade.

I have a big shade garden in another part of the yard, but I think this location is too sunny for hostas and not quite big enough for azaleas. Any luck with heuchera in part sun?

Is this area getting morning or afternoon sun? It sounds like you're getting the 3-5 PM sun. Almost anything can take some sun, but it's the afternoon sun that causes the damage to your shade lovers. Are you making sure you have good soil and soil that drains well? You can plant heuchera, tirella, lungwort, with afternoon sun, but long continuous days at 85+, you need to water daily and really well. You may want to try daylily (Stella's do well in shade/sun combo), sedum are great with both light levels, as are elephant ears and I've had caladiums in heavy sun. But whatever you put there has to get well watered.

I have a partially sunny spot....I've planted cardinal flower, allegheny spurge, Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed), tiarella, VA bluebells, various ferns, button bushes, spicebushes (Lindra benzoin and Calycanthus floridus), witchhazel, Viburnum dentatum....all natives and "fairly" compact.

P.S. I am plagued by rabbits, deer, woodpeckers (I use of lot of rotting wood in my planting but when the pileated woodpeckers are looking for grubs WATCH OUT :) !) and crows....most of the plants/shrubs survive!

For all with rabbits and deer, try Liquid Fence or Bobbex. I started using them about five years ago and my plants are nibble free! Lots of good suggestions for shade above. I would add Solomon's seal, itea, clethra, toad lily and hardy begonia. For shrubs oak leaf hydrangea do well in varying degrees of shade and the deer don't like them....