←Recommendations of TOUCH THE MOON - full-length play, 5 characters

An enticing, haunting mystery with loveable, distinct, dynamic characters; we understand where all of them are coming from and want to believe them. The transitions between scenes are pure art and it is easy to picture this on a stage. Information is given out sparsely to keep us curious, but not so much that we are left confused. The nonlinear narrative makes playful lines heartbreaking. Motifs are strong and expertly laced into the story. No detail is spared - this narrative was crafted with extreme care. I will be thinking about this play for a long time.

The loss of a child is universally recognized as one of life's horrors. That horror is magnified when the child is missing and the body not found. Capturing the emotions of the desperate mother, as well as the young people involved in the situation, requires great sensitivity and a formidable writing skill. The author of this work deserves attention as she has done so with a realism and authenticity that truly jumps off the page and grabs you by the throat. This is a remarkable piece of writing. A master class for anyone aspiring to write a thriller tragedy.

I was lucky enough to have a piece in a recent festival where another of Arianna's works was featured, and the difference between that play [The Sanity Clauset] and Touch the Moon really demonstrates the remarkable range she has as a playwright. Touch the Moon is such a beautifully heartbreaking work that, sadly, is reality for too many. I read it with a lump in my throat that still hasn't gone away.

Tough, smart, honoring the victims, and moving like a gunshot through the harsh reality of a young woman's tragedy, Arianna Rose's TOUCH THE MOON is a heartfelt, smart, and beautiful constructed mystery that gets at the worst fears a parent can have. Moving like a knife across the stage, the play works in pulses, shifting scenes, locations, and time effortlessly, relentlessly, in search of truth. It has the unstoppable arc of mother and daughter attempting to connect through the ether, despite the horror of what has happened, and despite the sadness of loss, inspires hope and meaning.

A gripping exploration of a tragic and mysterious disappearance told from the shifting perspectives of the victim, her mother, her best friend, and the presumed perpetrator. Rose sympathetically captures a young woman beginning to break free from the constraints of her upbringing with shattering consequences and a mother aching to find her missing daughter. The play is full of spot on specific details and effective lyrical passages that build to a wrenching conclusion.

An aching sense of loss and a rising tension permeate every line in this structurally inventive, emotionally ambitious work of art. Everything works here, and the play shines with a dark beauty that hurts as much as it heals. A stunner.

A tragic story, the likes of which we’ve many times witnessed play out in the news, but in “Touch the Moon,” Arianna Rose puts us into the center of the chaos, and within just a few moments fills us with utter dread. As though it’s happening to us. The play effortlessly travels forward and backward in time, with what feel like almost poetic transitions. And up until the story’s grim conclusion, we’re left wondering what’s true, and what is not. A gripping drama, with juicy parts for three female performers, it’s a page turner!

This play is going to touch everyone's heart. It's based on fact, is thrilling in its conception, and so well-written. You will feel something for every character, even the one(s) you may not be rooting for. It is starting to be noticed, which is great, so let's hope it gets the production it deserves.

Touch The Moon delves deep into the inner agony of a daughter missing, a Mother's torment, and an unbalanced suspect, weaving these three perspectives into a dance of questions, lies, and emotions that grabs you and will not let you go. Deeply moving and riveting.