B+MOM to Open at Rogue Machine Theatre
Written by and starring Melissa Greenspan, the comedy is directed by Guy Picot.
Rogue Machine Presents will open the new comedy 'B+ MOM (An Enthusiastic Guide to Imperfect Parenting)' by Melissa Greenspan at 7:30pm Wednesday, October 7 at the Matrix Theatre. A Pinterest-perfect mother has spent 17 years anticipating the day she will launch her daughter from the nest. Now that the time has finally arrived, she is determined to squeeze in every crucial life lesson the night before high school graduation – until her perfectly planned TED Talk gets derailed by unexpected twists and unscripted bombshells. B+ MOM is a heartfelt comedy about the parent who won't let go and the child with one foot out the door - and one eye on her phone.
'This piece grew from bits of wisdom and advice that I've stumbled across over the years,' recalls Greenspan. 'I've been collecting them in my Notes app since my daughter was born. I thought, God forbid, I'm not around to watch her grow up… she'll go through my phone, forever cherish the advice — ok, maybe not. When she started looking at colleges, I became an emotional wreck. Then, during a writing workshop, those notes came back to me — and this woman in the play came into view — the mom character with this frantic need to connect to her kid, which ended up resonating with people. She's trying to make what feels like a final departure into something meaningful. And as life can be messy and chaotic, so is the woman's journey to letting go.'
Guy Picot (Director) is a British multi-disciplined artist who has directed the musicals Brighton (at Brighton, Edinburgh, and Hollywood Fringe), Disasteroid, and Earth To Karen, (Hollywood Fringe Award nominee). He wrote British Network tv shows, Bad Girls, Footballers Wives, and was script associate for the West End show Bad Girls The Musical. Guy served on the artistic committee of Sacred Fools Theatre and was associate director of LA Sock-Puppet Theatre, presenting sock-puppet versions of classic sitcoms. He co-wrote the book for the Merseybeat musical Ferry Cross The Mersey which had two British National tours and a West End run. His dark comedy The Christmas Present has had productions in the UK and US and is published by Stage Rights.
'Melissa examines the highs and lows of the mother-daughter dynamic from both sides. What stands out to me, especially for a one-person show, is that the lead character—whose name we never learn—is more concerned with other people than with herself. And she never speaks directly to the audience. The specificity of the details ironically makes the story feel universal. If you've ever been a parent, or had one, there are universal truths here to ponder,' says director Guy Picot.
Melissa Greenspan (writer/performer) works in theatre, film, and television with selected credits that include UnRavelled (LADCC nomination for Ensemble) written by Jake Broder, Playwright's Arena and Center Theatre Group's site-specific production of The Hotel Play, and her role of CiCi in the Los Angeles premiere of Journey to Dollywood. As a stand-up comedian she has appeared multiple times at Hollywood's Flappers and with Vargas Mason's Deez Nutz show at The Comedy Store. Melissa is co-lead of the comedy series, How to Beat Your Sister-In-Law (at everything), and has guest starred on NCIS, Grey's Anatomy, The Irrational, Modern Family, and Desperate Housewives among others. Film credits include The Comeback Trial, Senior Moment with William Shatner and The Poison Rose with John Travolta. She voiced Sarah Wellington in The Wild Thornberrys Movie, recurring roles in Nickelodeon's Doug and Disney's Brand Spankin' New Doug, as well as the evil Marcella Curd in Disney's KatBot. Melissa played Enid in the Audie Award winning podcast, The Sherlock Holmes Theatre and has dubbed over 80 projects for Netflix, Amazon and HBO.
Creative Team
Carolina Rodriguez (Producer), Ava Selway (Associate Producer), Ava Guggenheim (Set Design).
Rogue Machine (founded in 2008) has become a pillar of Los Angeles' vibrant theater scene through its commitment to producing new and significant contemporary plays. The company has earned critical acclaim for its bold programming and has been recognized with numerous awards. Notably, Rogue Machine has earned more than 30 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle awards including the unique distinction of being the only theater company to receive the Polly Warfield Award for Best Season by a Small to Midsized Theater three times—in 2011, 2016, 2023, and most recently for their 2025 season.
Additionally, Rogue Machine received three Ovation Awards for Outstanding Production of the Year and in 2017 they took home the Ovation Award for Best Season, standing out amongst major institutions like The Geffen Playhouse, the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and Center Theatre Group. The company has produced more than 30 world premieres and 35 west coast premieres, many of which have gone on to have a wider reach, including Kemp Powers' One Night in Miami … (Academy Award nominee), John Pollono's Small Engine Repair, and Neil McGowan's Lone-Anon (Loners), all of which were adapted into films. It is Rogue Machine's mission to support local artists and playwrights and to offer new, thought-provoking theatre that deals with contemporary issues across all generations.
Event Details
B+ Mom opens at 7:30pm on Wednesday, October 7th and runs every Wednesday at 7:30pm through October 28, 2026.
Rogue Machine, at the Matrix Theatre (upstairs on the Henry Murray Stage), 7657 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046.
Tickets are $32. Information (323) 366-9490.
Run time approximately 50 minutes (no intermission)
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