TOUCH THE MOON - full-length play, 5 characters

by Arianna Rose

[Full Length play - 85 to 90 minutes]
Spring Break, 1995, on an unnamed island somewhere far from Miranda’s home. Over her mother’s objections, Miranda leaves for this trip with her best friend Emily and other students from her school. That is the last time Miranda is ever seen alive. Through a series of short vignettes that connect past, present, and future, we meet Miranda, her mother Becca, her best friend...

[Full Length play - 85 to 90 minutes]
Spring Break, 1995, on an unnamed island somewhere far from Miranda’s home. Over her mother’s objections, Miranda leaves for this trip with her best friend Emily and other students from her school. That is the last time Miranda is ever seen alive. Through a series of short vignettes that connect past, present, and future, we meet Miranda, her mother Becca, her best friend Emily, Stefan, and his father Dirk and begin to piece together what may have happened to Miranda that fateful night.
Stefan is the last person to have seen her alive, and Miranda confronts him in the interrogation room where he is being held. Evasive and cunning, Stefan slowly reveals his true colors as a pathological liar as a frustrated Becca tries to elicit any answers she can of her daughter’s whereabouts.
A fuller picture of Miranda emerges, showing a young girl on the cusp of womanhood, healing from a broken family dynamic and exploring the boundaries of her sexuality that ultimately spelled out her doom. Dirk tries to protect his son once again from allegations of harming a woman, and Emily is haunted by the fight she and Miranda had on the island, convinced it is her fault that Miranda may be dead.
A play about how humans need to know, and sometimes need to tell, TOUCH THE MOON draws a line between truth and lies and how they intersect. At its heart it is a story of motherly love and determination in the face of the unthinkable.

Workshop Production, Cincinnati Lab Theatre New Works Festival, Cincinnati OH July 2025
Winner, HRC Showcase Theater, Hudson, NY, Staged Reading Series, July 2022.
Winner, Fantasy Theatre Factory New Year, New Works Series 2022, Staged Reading April 2022. Miami FL.
Dean Productions Premiere the Play, podcast reading 2021, Los Angeles CA
Walking Shadow Readers Theatre, Online Reading, Washington D.C., April 2021.
Winner, 3rd place for full length play, Mix It Up Productions 2020 Spring Emerging Playwright Contest
Honorable Mention, Panndora's Box 2020 New Play Festival, Long Beach CA
Finalist, Depot New Play Reading Series 2022, Hampton CT
Finalist, 2020 Swarthmore Players Club New Plays Festival.
Semi-Finalist, 2020 Garry Marshall Theatre New Works Festival
Semi-Finalist, 2022 New Works Festival, Hippodrome State Theatre, FL

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TOUCH THE MOON - full-length play, 5 characters

Recommended by

  • Maggie Berendes: TOUCH THE MOON - full-length play, 5 characters by Arianna Rose
    “

    Touch the Moon by Arianna Rose is a really engaging mystery that hooks you from the start. The characters feel real and easy to connect with, so you quickly get invested in their stories. The scene changes flow nicely, and the way the story slowly reveals things keeps you interested without being confusing. With its nonlinear style and thoughtful details throughout, it’s a play that sticks with you after you’re done reading it.

    Touch the Moon by Arianna Rose is a really engaging mystery that hooks you from the start. The characters feel real and easy to connect with, so you quickly get invested in their stories. The scene changes flow nicely, and the way the story slowly reveals things keeps you interested without being confusing. With its nonlinear style and thoughtful details throughout, it’s a play that sticks with you after you’re done reading it.

    ”
  • Thomas Rise: TOUCH THE MOON - full-length play, 5 characters by Arianna Rose
    “

    This play is a beautiful example of a mystery-drama done right. Rose weaves the reader through distress and theoretical anguish in an "on-the-edge-of-your-seat" story where empathy and tragedy collide, and the truth must be discerned by one's own imagination. An independent play that refuses to leave your mind when it's through. Brilliant work.

    This play is a beautiful example of a mystery-drama done right. Rose weaves the reader through distress and theoretical anguish in an "on-the-edge-of-your-seat" story where empathy and tragedy collide, and the truth must be discerned by one's own imagination. An independent play that refuses to leave your mind when it's through. Brilliant work.

    ”
  • Constance Faith: TOUCH THE MOON - full-length play, 5 characters by Arianna Rose
    “

    Touch the Moon is a beautifully tragic play. You follow the events proceeding the disappearance of Miranda, and watch as her mother and best friend find the truth behind her disappearance. It's very uniquely written with scenes from the past and present, and sometimes multiple scenes going on at once, yet blending together very nicely. The play doesn't have a traditional "wrapped in a bow" ending, leaving the audience wanting more and truly thinking about this play after they finish reading it.

    Touch the Moon is a beautifully tragic play. You follow the events proceeding the disappearance of Miranda, and watch as her mother and best friend find the truth behind her disappearance. It's very uniquely written with scenes from the past and present, and sometimes multiple scenes going on at once, yet blending together very nicely. The play doesn't have a traditional "wrapped in a bow" ending, leaving the audience wanting more and truly thinking about this play after they finish reading it.

    ”
View all 19 recommendations

Character Information

Full-length.
5 characters: 3 female/2 male

CHARACTERS
(in order of appearance)

MIRANDA female, 18, high school student, visitor to the island. An innocent yearning to step into her life.
BECCA female, anywhere from late 30’s to 50’s, Miranda’s mother. Tightly wound and religious.
STEFAN male, 17-21, European, student on the island. Charismatic and troubled.
DIRK male, 40s, European. Stefan’s father. Businessman. Barely holding it together.
EMILY female, 18, Miranda’s best friend. Free, open, happy.

  • MIRANDA
    high school student, visitor to the island. An innocent yearning to step into her life.
    teens
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • BECCA
    Miranda’s mother. Tightly wound and religious. Caring and tenacious.
    30s-50s
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • STEFAN
    European, student on the island. Charismatic and troubled.
    teens-20s
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • DIRK
    European. Stefan’s father. Businessman. Barely holding it together. Weary of dealing with Stefan's messes.
    40s-60s
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • EMILY
    Miranda’s best friend. Free, open, happy.
    teens-20s
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman

Development History

  • Reading, HRC Showcase Theater, 2022
  • Reading, Dean Productions Theatre Company, "Premiere the Play" podcast reading, 2021
  • Reading, Walking Shadow Readers Theatre online reading, 2021
  • Reading, Sandrell River Theater "New Year New Works" Series, Miami, FL, 2020
  • Reading, Miami-Dade Council of Cultural Affairs Playwright Development Program, 2020

Production History

  • Workshop, Cincinnati Lab Theatre New Works Festival; workshop production; Cincinnati OH, 2025

Awards

  • New Works Festival
    Garry Marshall Theatre, Los Angeles CA
    Semi-Finalist
    2020
  • 3rd Place Full-length plays Emerging Playwright Contest
    Mix it Up Productions
    Winner
    2020
  • Virginia Waterworks Festival
    Live Arts Theatre Company, VA
    Finalist
    2024
  • New Play Festival
    Panndora's Box, Long Beach CA
    Honorable Mention
    2020
  • Epiphanies New Works Festival
    Wild Imaginings Theatre Company, Waco TX
    Semi-Finalist
    2024
  • Todd McNerney Playwriting Award, Top 10 finalist
    College of Charleston
    Finalist
    2021
  • production of play
    Black Swamp Players, Bowling Green OH
    Finalist
    2023
  • Honorable Mention
    Panndora's Box Productions New Play Festival
    Honorable Mention
    2020
  • Third Place, Full-Length Play
    Mix it Up Productions 2020 Spring Emerging Playwright Contest
    Winner
    2020
  • New Plays Festival
    Swarthmore Players Club, PA
    Finalist
    2020