The mystery of THE MARIA PROJECT unravels at 59E59 Theaters in March

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes Pure Projects, Inc, in association with Uncle Frank Productions, with the Off Broadway premiere of THE MARIA PROJECT, written and performed by Marcella Goheen and directed by Larry Moss. THE MARIA PROJECT begins performances on Tuesday, March 6 for a limited engagement through Sunday, April 1.  Press opening is Sunday, March 11 at 7:15 PM.  The performance schedule is Tuesday – Thursday at 7:15 PM; Friday at 8:15 PM; Saturday at 8:15 PM; and Sunday at 3:15 PM and 7:15 PM. Please note, there is an added matinee on Saturday, March 10 at 2:15 PM. Performances are at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). Tickets are $35 ($24.50 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or go to www.59e59.org.

Using documentary footage, music and storytelling, THE MARIA PROJECT takes audiences on a road trip across America to unravel the mysterious disappearance of Maria Salazar. Through the voices of family over three generations, an unknown family history is unearthed, down to the very secret that shaped its destiny.

Called “inspiring” by the Star Tribune and “powerful and harrowing” by the City Pages in Minneapolis, this incredible story of survival arrives at 59E59 Theaters after traveling across the US, playing in Los Angeles, Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota and Chicago.

Marcella Goheen (playwright/performer) is a theatre performer, writer and actress who performs and creates solo theatrical pieces inviting audiences to celebrate the tradition of storytelling and folklore.  Performance venues include Brooklyn Academy of Music, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Caroline’s Comedy Club, Stand Up NY, The Underground, Bar-B, The Lex (Los Angeles), 45 Bleecker Street Theater, HERE Arts Center, St. Mark’s Church, Columbia College (Chicago), The Theatre Building (Chicago), Stageworks Hudson, University of South Dakota, Theater Wit (Chicago), OpenEye Theatre (Minnesota) and colleges across the country. Solo pieces include B.L.A.K., directed by Tony Award Nominee Reg E. Gaines (LA Times Pick of the Week), and her current piece, The Maria Project, directed by Larry Moss). Off Broadway:  Miracle Day (Deborah).  Producer: If Trane Wuz Here, a tribute to John Coltrane with Savion Glover (“a fantastic dream..” LA Times). Montblanc de la Culture Awards 2007, 2008. Ms. Goheen has spent the last two years performing The Maria Project as part of her “80 Voices” series – across America on the 80th anniversary of Maria’s passing.  Ms. Goheen is working on her first book based on the eight year journey of developing, writing and creating The Maria Project.

Larry Moss (director) directed and developed Pamela Gien’s The Syringa Tree, which had its world premiere at ACT in Seattle.  The Syringa Tree opened in New York in September 2000 and won the Obie Award for Best Play 2001, the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle Outstanding Solo Performance, a Drama League Honor, and a nomination for the John Gassner Playwriting Award. The Syringa Tree has played to sold out houses and critical acclaim around the world, including London (The National Theatre) and Toronto (Can Stage), where it won the Dora Award for Best Actress and Best Play of 2005. Moss directed the TV version that was filmed by Trio Arts Network and most recently, Pamela and Larry, with their producer Matt Salinger, took The Syringa Tree to the Baxter Theater in South Africa.

Moss developed and directed Bo Eason’s Runt Of The Litter at Manhattan Class Company in January 2002 and when it re-opened in November 2007 at 37 Arts Theatre.  It was voted one of the top ten plays of the year by New York Daily News and was bought by Castle Rock to be made into a major motion picture. Moss has directed Michael Raynor’s Who Is Floyd Stearn?; Richard Kalinoski’s Beast On The Moon; Jack Holmes’s RFK (Drama League Award); April Daisy White‘s Sugar; Richard Vetere’s How To Go Out On A Date In Queens; Richard Hellersen’s Dos Corazones both as a play and film; and the World Premiere of Jam, a new musical starring Clint Holmes at The Judy Bayley Theater.  He did a workshop of John Osborne’s Epitaph For George Dillon in New York for the first time in fifty years in June 2008.   He directed Josh Jonas’s Capture Now off-Broadway, Michael Stewart’s I Love My Wife starring Jason Alexander at Reprise in Los Angeles, John Patrick Shanley’s Beggars In The House Of Plenty in Los Angeles and recently directed Remembering Bobby Short starring Clint Holmes at the Carlyle in New York.  He will be directing Relative Insanity and Chiseled, two new films that will shoot 2012 and 2013.

Moss coached Helen Hunt in As Good As It Gets (Academy Award); Hilary Swank in Boys Don’t Cry and Million Dollar Baby (Academy Awards); Michael Clarke Duncan in The Green Mile (Academy Award Nomination); Hank Azaria in Tuesdays With Morrie (Emmy Award); Jim Carrey in The Majestic; Tobey Maguire in Seabiscuit; and Leonardo DiCaprio in The Aviator (Golden Globe Award and Academy Award Nomination), The Departed (Golden Globe Nomination), Blood Diamond (Golden Globe and Academy Award Nomination), Shutter Island, Inception, and J. Edgar (SAG and Golden Globe Award Nomination).

Moss’s teaching career includes US, Canada, Europe and Australia.  He was one of the master teachers on Triple Sensation, on CBC in Canada.  His book on acting, The Intent To Live, was released by Bantam Dell in 2004.  Larry is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.