B + MOM (An Enthusiastic Guide to Imperfect Parenting)
Rogue Machine at the Matrix Theatre
Reviewed by Amalisha HuEck
Taking chances, stepping into fear and doing it, breaking boundaries…and finding freedom.
In her solo play, B+MOM (An Enthusiastic Guide to Imperfect Parenting), Melissa Greenspan ventures into uncharted territory, exploring the joys and challenges of motherhood with honesty, humor, and skill as both writer and performer. While raising her daughter may have come relatively easily, Greenspan discovers that letting go and sending her off to college is an entirely different—and far more complicated—chapter of motherhood.
On October 20th 2008 her daughter was born. And now she is graduating, and leaving for college. B+ Mom’s daughter is about to enter into an adult world, so B+ is obliged to give her advice and touch upon many important subjects, including sex – however uncomfortable that might be. After 17 years of parenting, mom’s wisdom is irreplaceable.
One of her suggestions is, “Don’t be a slave to perfection, take a breather. Perfectionism leads to paralysis. Being B+ is better. Just keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.” She considers herself a B + [almost perfect] mom.
She wishes to have a conversation with her daughter, but since she is at her graduation sleepover, she is recording it. At the same time, she is making a dinner reservation for 14 hungry Jews and talking to her own mother who is anxious to hear the updates. It is evident how much she loves her daughter and how difficult this transition is for her.
“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.”
Directed by Guy Picot, Greenspan is dynamic, convincing, funny and dramatic with irresistible facial impressions. ‘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.
Creatives are; Ava Selway (Associate Producer), Ava Guggenheim (Set Design), Carolina Rodriguez and Michael Krulik (Photography), Mason Bendewald (Logo Design). And Judith Borne takes care of publicity.
B + MOM is produced by Carolina Rodriguez and runs every Wednesday at 7:30pm through November 4, 2026. Rogue Machine, at the Matrix Theatre (upstairs on the Henry Murray Stage), 7657 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046. Tickets are $32 at https://matrixvisitingartist.ludus.com. For more information call (323) 366-9490.