TOUCH THE MOON One Act Play, 3 Characters

by Arianna Rose

[30 minute play]

When a recent high school graduate disappears on an island during spring break, her mother leaves no stone unturned in finding out what happened to her, interrogating the teenage boy who was the last person to see her alive.

Note: a full-length version of this story, with the same title, expanded to five characters, is also located on this NPX page.

Western Michigan University, Class...

[30 minute play]

When a recent high school graduate disappears on an island during spring break, her mother leaves no stone unturned in finding out what happened to her, interrogating the teenage boy who was the last person to see her alive.

Note: a full-length version of this story, with the same title, expanded to five characters, is also located on this NPX page.

Western Michigan University, Class Project Production, Kalamazoo MI 2025
Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, TX 2025
Hamilton College Senior Thesis Production, Clinton NY 2024
Camel City Playhouse One-Act Festival, Winston-Salem NC 2024
William Inge Theater Festival Playlab reading 2022
Windsor UK Fringe Festival (20-minute version) 2020
Know Theatre Artists & Playwrights Festival, Binghamton NY 2019 (20-minute version: under the former title A BIG OCEAN)
Finalist, 2020 Kenneth Branagh Award for Drama Writing (1 of 3 finalists out of 236 submissions - 18 min version)
Shortlist, 2020 One-Act Play Competition, Carnon Downs Drama Group, UK
Finalist, 2020 Steyning Festival, Theatre Trails, England
Finalist, 2019 Ink Festival UK (shortlisted in top 20 out of 750 submissions)

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TOUCH THE MOON One Act Play, 3 Characters

Recommended by

  • Neil Ruttenberg: TOUCH THE MOON One Act Play, 3 Characters by Arianna Rose
    “

    A veiled retelling of the Natalee Holloway disappearance in Aruba. Deftly told and creatively staged. The writer managed to breathe some life to an already twice told tale with inventive staging and dramatic overlap.

    A veiled retelling of the Natalee Holloway disappearance in Aruba. Deftly told and creatively staged. The writer managed to breathe some life to an already twice told tale with inventive staging and dramatic overlap.

    ”
  • Robert Weibezahl: TOUCH THE MOON One Act Play, 3 Characters by Arianna Rose
    “

    Arianna Rose is a playwright who routinely – and expertly – exploits the rhythms and music of language to explore the complications of the human heart. In TOUCH THE MOON, which I saw in a reading at the 2022 Inge Festival, Rose is inspired by a real-life mystery about the unsolved disappearance of a young woman and she finds poetry even in the darkest of human truths. This is a beautifully theatrical and haunting play.

    Arianna Rose is a playwright who routinely – and expertly – exploits the rhythms and music of language to explore the complications of the human heart. In TOUCH THE MOON, which I saw in a reading at the 2022 Inge Festival, Rose is inspired by a real-life mystery about the unsolved disappearance of a young woman and she finds poetry even in the darkest of human truths. This is a beautifully theatrical and haunting play.

    ”
  • John Adams: TOUCH THE MOON One Act Play, 3 Characters by Arianna Rose
    “

    I saw a reading of this play at the 2022 William Inge Theatre Festival. Though it covers a very challenging subject matter, it was engaging and outright poetic throughout. The playwright really took some bold swings while employing the reenacted-flashback format -- and these swings always paid off to give us a vivid, memorable piece of art. This one stuck with me!

    I saw a reading of this play at the 2022 William Inge Theatre Festival. Though it covers a very challenging subject matter, it was engaging and outright poetic throughout. The playwright really took some bold swings while employing the reenacted-flashback format -- and these swings always paid off to give us a vivid, memorable piece of art. This one stuck with me!

    ”
View all 15 recommendations

Character Information

MIRANDA, female, 18, college student
STEFAN, male, 17-20s, European.
BECCA, female, 40s-50’s, Miranda’s mother
  • MIRANDA
    college student, innocent, yearning to experience life.
    teen
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • STEFAN
    charismatic, troubled.
    teens-20s
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • BECCA
    Miranda's mother. Tightly wound, religious, determined.
    late 30s-50s
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman

Development History

  • Reading, William Inge Theater Festival New Play Lab, 2022

Production History

  • University, Western Michigan University, 2025
  • Community Theater, Camel City Playhouse One-Act Festival, Winston-Salem NC, 2024
  • University, Hamilton College, 2024
  • Fringe, Windsor UK Fringe Festival, 2020
  • Community Theater, Know Theatre, Binghamton NY, 2019

Awards

  • Director Workshop Program
    The Theatre of Western Springs, IL
    Finalist
    2022
  • Shortlist
    Steyning Festival Theatre Trails UK
    Finalist
    2020
  • Shortlist
    Ink Festival UK
    Finalist
    2019
  • Kenneth Branagh Drama Writing Award (1 of 3 finalists)
    Windsor Fringe Festival UK
    Finalist
    2020