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A full-length musical by Ben Bonnema & Arianna Rose

It’s telling that nearly every adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s novel “Peter and Wendy” was retitled “Peter Pan.” Women, fictional or not, are often swept aside in favor of their male counterparts. Having just survived four years of an administration that attacked women’s rights, we believe it’s more important than ever to tell stories that center women—women who discover their own agency and choose their own happiness.  THE LOST GIRL is just such a story. Despite the Edwardian norms she was raised in, Wendy finds the strength to stand up to her brother and protect her daughter, even joining the burgeoning Suffragette movement. She goes from hoping that Peter will come back and fix everything to understanding that she has control over her destiny. If little girls today are raised with such stories, perhaps our world can become a bit more equitable and bend closer towards justice.

At the night before the unveiling of the million-dollar renovation of their renowned Cone Collection at the Baltimore Museum of Art, long dead sisters Etta and Claribel Cone suddenly materialize. "Family friend" Gertrude Stein and her paramour Alice Toklas (equally dead) also pop up, uninvited (much to Etta’s dismay).

 Their mission:  to settle once and for all how the “Friendship” between Etta and Gertrude fell apart.  Their younger selves appear to help them sort it all out.  The surrounding artwork miraculously comes to life, with each woman represented by a painting with special significance for them. 

 The musical is non-linear, moving between present time in the Cone Wing, past memories with the younger selves of the four women, with artwork that also represents the women that comes alive to comment on and move the story forward.  Fantasy sequences are created when past and present merge.

 Featuring a cast of twelve women/non-binary actors of any race and ethnicity, the score is written for a modern rhythm section (pop/rock) with strings for a more chamber-like, period feel. 

SKIPPING A STONE, Musical adaptation of The Ripple Effect by Arianna Rose

(Cast of 8: 2 w, 2m, 4 ensemble)

Two Act Musical Comedy

Book & Lyrics by Arianna Rose, Music by Caitlin Thomas

SYNOPSIS:

SKIPPING A STONE, a full-length musical comedy set in 1995 NYC, eavesdrops on Upper West Side apartment dwellers Amy and Jeff, and their middle-aged neighbors Ida and Paul.  Amy and Jeff attempt unorthodox rituals to get pregnant and take it to term; Ida and Paul deal with the aftermath of Paul’s stroke and diagnosis.  The fabric of marriage is pulled, torn, and repaired as each couple navigates their new normal.  Science and spirituality go toe-to-toe when Wiccans enter the picture, in this comical and empathetic story of the ripple effect we create with each decision.  

CURRENTLY IN DEVELOPMENT

(Currently in Development)

THE LEYENDECKER LOOK, Musical adaptation of The Lesser Leyendecker by Arianna Rose

Cast: 4 men, 2 women, 1 male cutout or puppeteer, Ensemble

Two-Act Musical Drama

Book & Lyrics by Arianna Rose, Music by Thomas Jacobsen

SYNOPSIS:

“Family First” is the motto of the real-life Leyendecker siblings Mary, Joe and Frank.  The close-knit brothers rise to fame as commercial illustrators in the early 1900s, even as Frank battles addiction issues and conflicting artistic ambitions.  Canadian model Charles Beach insinuates himself into Joe’s heart and art, serving as the main model for Joe’s creation The Arrow Collar Man, arguably one of the first media influencers on the nation. 

Frank’s self-esteem and work output descends in direct opposition to Joe’s rise, despite the assistance of Livvy, the tightrope walker who has been his imaginary muse since childhood. Mary, caught in the middle, battles with Beach for control of their empire. Art comes to life, the Arrow Collar Man becomes a threat to everyone, as the siblings struggle to maintain their closeness and careers. The timeless issues of art and addiction, imagination and illusion meet in this highly theatrical memory musical, spanning late 1890s through 1924.

A full-length 5-woman play by Arianna Rose

Sisters Etta and Claribel Cone, long dead, materialize at the unveiling of the million dollar renovation of their renowned Cone Collection at the Baltimore Museum of Modern Art.  Family friend Gertrude Stein and her paramour Alice Toklas pop up uninvited, much to Etta’s dismay.  As tensions grow between the four women, they resolve to recreate their stories in an effort to uncover the truth.   

The Lesser Leyendecker, a 90-minute drama by Arianna Rose

4 m, 2 w, 1 cut-out or human (non-verbal)

“Family First” is the motto of the three Leyendecker siblings. When real-life brothers Frank and Joe find fame as illustrators in the early 1900s, a stranger insinuates himself into their close-knit relationship and threatens everything they’ve created. Art and addiction, imagination and illusion meet in this highly theatrical memory play.

A full-length comedy (2f, 1m) by Arianna Rose

THE RIPPLE EFFECT, a full-length comedy set in 1995 NYC, eavesdrops on Upper West Side apartment dwellers Amy and Jeff, and their middle-aged neighbor Mrs. Ida Teitelbaum.  Amy and Jeff attempt unorthodox rituals to get pregnant and take it to term; Ida deals with the aftermath of her husband’s stroke.  The fabric of marriage is pulled, torn, and repaired as each character navigates their new normal.  Science and spirituality go toe-to-toe when Wiccans enter the picture, in this comical and empathetic story of the ripple effect we create with each decision.  

Spring Break, 1994, on an island.  A teen-aged girl goes missing.  Through a series of connected vignettes spanning time, we meet Miranda, her mother Becca, her best friend Emily, Stefan, and his father Dirk.  Becca confronts Stefan, the last person to have seen Miranda.   Stefan slowly reveals his true colors as a pathological liar to a frustrated Becca.  Miranda emerges as a young girl on the cusp of womanhood, healing from a broken family dynamic and exploring the boundaries of her sexuality.  Dirk tries to protect his son, and Emily is convinced it’s her fault that Miranda may be dead.  

A 30-minute immersive dramady by Arianna Rose, inspired by real events, for twelve actors playing a multitude of characters.

It’s Friday at Taft Academy School for elementary and middle school students, which means it’s pizza day.  Everyone is very excited by this, though a damper is put on the cafeteria when the cool kids arrive and demand their usual seats  One of their targets is Jordan Wester, a reporter for the school paper.  Jordan is looking for the next big story, with the help of their trusted assistant and friend, Piminy Scott.    During an altercation with the Cool Kids, Piminy wishes aloud that they would just leave for another planet.  A new student, Maj Ickal, claims she is a sorcerer-in-training.  The Cool Kids don’t believe her, so she casts a spell and the Cool Kids vanish.  Piminy is beside herself and begs Maj to bring them back, but Maj doesn’t know how.  Jordan thinks it’s a great story for the paper.

 The Cool Kids have been beamed to Planet Princess, where they meet Kai, the planet manager, Kia’s assistants Xeno and Zephyr, and some of the princesses living there.  The Cool Kids and separately, Kai, scheme how to get off the planet; at the same time, Maj, Jordan and Piminy make plans to join them on Planet Princess via Maj’s spell.

 THE SPELL explores themes of bullying, friendship, tolerance, acceptance, and empathy.