Goyanes' appointment to the role of associate producer comes after Gersten announced her departure from the Public May 5 to become the artistic director of the Williamstown Theatre Festival in October.

Goyanes, who is currently the director of special projects at the Public, aided in launching the Public LAB in 2008. The Public LAB devotes itself to the development of new works, including such success stories as The Good Negro and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. She is a producer of the 13P playwrights collective and also collaborated on the city-wide presentation of Suzan-Lori Parks' 365 Days/365 Plays festival. Goyanes previously worked as an associate producer at the Trinity Repertory Company under Eustis as artistic director.

"For the last seven years at The Public, Maria Goyanes has proven herself a tireless worker, a brilliant and detail oriented producer, and a champion of a wide variety of theatre artists," said Public Theater artistic director Oskar Eustis, in a statement. "She has not worked exclusively at The Public; her work at 13P is only the most visible of her outside activities in the downtown theatre community. She understands The Public Theater in her bones, both how we work and, more importantly, what we stand for. She richly deserves this promotion, and I am looking forward to our partnership continuing for many years to come."

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