Penned by two-time Lecomte du Nouy Prize winner Melissa Ross, NICE GIRL premiered off-Broadway in 2015 to gently positive reviews. The New York Times described “…a tenderly drawn drama…NICE GIRL presents a slice of middle-class life with unpatronizing honesty and simplicity.” To quote the author: “When I was a little girl…I was out to dinner with my grandparents when they ran into friends of theirs with their grown daughter. After they left – there were hushed whispers. She was still living with her parents. She had never gotten married – a spinster. I was years away from leaving home but this woman’s life became a cautionary tale …(the) ghost of (a) woman who still lived at home and was never launched into adulthood.” In 2025, Rogue Machine is proud to present NICE GIRL.
Anais Fairweather and Susan Peahl – Photo by Jacques Lorch
The time is early December 1984, and the place is a middle class suburb of Boston. Even though she is quickly approaching 40, Josephine (Jo) Rosen (Anais Fairweather) still lives at home with her widowed mother Francine (Susan Peahl), works in a dead-end secretarial job, and plods through an uneventful and mundane day-to-day life. Jo is painfully plain and has given up seeking more when she meets Sherry (Bailey Humiston), a gorgeous, outspoken co-worker whose very presence lights up the night sky. Soon, the divorced Sherry convinces Jo to join her for a little bar hopping to check out the local bachelors and add some spice to her dull existence. But Jo is a nice girl, a girl who cares for her ailing mother, who thinks of others before herself, an painfully shy, almost saintly and virginal woman who has accepted her lot in life and prefers quietly fading into the woodwork. Enter Nick (Jeff Lorch), the local butcher and Jo’s high school classmate in the process of a divorce. When the two accidentally meet in the singles bar where a reluctant Jo is dragged by her newfound girlfriend, there seems to be a spark between Jo and Nick – but will it (and can it) start a bonfire? Even with prodding by the irrepressible Sherry? Change comes at a price, but is Jo willing – or even ready – to pay that price?
Anais Fairweather and Bailey Humiston – Photo by Jacques Lorch
Skillfully helmed by Ann Bronston, NICE GIRL is a gentle and delicate study of an unassuming, introverted women whose choices in life are about to bite her in the foot. Bronston is ably assisted in building four intimate personality studies by a talented quartet of actors who breathe life into their roles. These four, however, are not stereotypes; their responses may sometimes surprise and even shock you. Mom has a little more going for her than the classic controlling Jewish mother trope. Sherry is way more than her easy-going, sexy façade. These are real people living real lives, and they will insidiously work their ways into your heart. You’ll probably recognize at least parts of these folks in people you’ve known over the years – and maybe even among your own relatives.
Susan Peahl and Anais Fairweather – Photo by Jacques Lorch
NICE GIRL performs in Rogue Machine’s upstairs Henry Murray Stage, the perfect venue for this intimate portrait of a lonely woman who suddenly finds herself thrown into a life she doesn’t fully understand. Words like tender and honest don’t do full justice to this play which, like its four characters, have so much more to offer. This is a thought-provoking drama which is also entertaining and, in its own quiet way, gripping. The Rogue Machine has another winner.
Anais Fairweather and Jeff Lorch – Photo by Jacques Lorch
NICE GIRL runs through July 20, 2025, with performances at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Mondays, and at 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Rogue Machine performs at the Matrix Theatre, 7657 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046. Tickets range from $45 to $60 (seniors $35; students $25; Shows4Less: Friday 6/20 and 6/27 $20+; Saturday 7/5 $25+). For information and reservations, call 855-585-5185 or go online.
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