For more than 70 years, there has been a persistent fascination with the story of Everett Ruess, the young artist and naturalist who, in 1934, disappeared at the age of 20 in the Escalante canyon country of southern Utah. In fact, the years have hardly dimmed the vibrancy of the young Ruess’s memory, a living testament perhaps of a collective hope that he was well on his way to achieving his most deeply-held ambitions.

In the world premiere of “The End of The Horizon,” Debora Threedy, in her first full-length theatrical play, transforms the map of loss into a map of fulfillment, sensitively demonstrating with well-measured pathos the family bonds so powerfully palpable in Everett’s story. And, at the core of this 90-minute dramatic presentation is Stella, the young man’s mother portrayed with genuinely heart-felt honesty by Threedy. Everett, in a solidly tempered performance by David Fetzer, figures prominently in the first half although he appears much less frequently in the second half.

The play is being premiered by Plan-B Theatre. The run, which ends March 30, will include performances at 8 p.m. on Thursdays through Sundays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. The play is in the Studio Theatre of the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center.

The play’s script is beautifully paced with Threedy’s writing smoothly distilling the nuances of intimate family details with just the right sense of distance. In times of grief and loss, knowledge is a healing gift and Threedy wants audience members to reach their own conclusions, not only about Ruess but also about their own experiences. After all, as Threedy noted in an earlier interview, “no one gets out of this life without losing someone.” Through earnest, candid dialogue, Threedy incorporates a next-door-neighbor feel to the story. Audience members will readily see the archetypes reflected in their own experiences: abruptly ended relationships, unfinished careers and projects, the sudden end of familiar routine.

However, the mystery of artistic expression is just as important as the mystery of Everett’s disappearance. The young man regularly hums the famous ditty of the “Ode to Joy” from the last movement of Beethoven’s epic ninth symphony. Its appearance is no mere vehicle of convenience. It is a subtly nuanced cue which girds the work-in-progress artistic temperament of this promising artist, whom we learn enjoyed going to the symphony.

The play opens with a discordant, slippery music figure, reminiscent of the opening in the last section of Beethoven’s famous symphony in which the string basses play a recitative continuously rebuffing the rest of the orchestra’s reintroduction of earlier musical themes. And, then, it is the string bass section which introduces the famous “Ode to Joy” theme, sounding much like the hummed version offered repeatedly by Everett’s character. At the end of the play, the stage goes dark with a distinctly Western-flavored version of Beethoven’s universally loved music. Original music was provided by Ricklen Nobis, Aaron Ashton (fiddle), and Kim Driggs (guitar).

Of course, Threedy wisely leaves it to audience members to figure all of this out. Like Beethoven’s most famous work, Ruess is ambiguous, which certainly has added to the cache of mystery surrounding his story. Ruess’s unconventionality in his art and in his life defines the inexplicable self that, in effect, makes his art and appeal simultaneously timely and timeless. Threedy suggests that perhaps the best way to keep the Ruess memory is not to pin it down but to happily embrace its mystery.

The cast does respectable justice to Threedy’s script, including Jesse Harward as Waldo, Everett’s brother; Garry Peter Morris as Christopher, Everett’s father, and Jason Bowcutt and Stephanie Howell, who seamlessly move through various supporting role portrayals. The play’s pacing in the first act needed to be a bit more energized. However, the second half’s rhythm, along with clearly more confident performances, propelled the dramatic currents to the appropriate collective emotional truths which emerge at the end of the play.

Jerry Rapier is producing director. Kay Shean directs the show with sets by Randy Rasmussen, and sound by Cheryl Ann Cluff. Nancy Hills is costumes director, and Cory Thorell is coordinating lighting and props. Jennifer Freed is handling stage management.Tickets can be purchased by calling (801) 355-ARTS.

Plan-B, along with various local sponsors, also has scheduled several events to celebrate Ruess’s work. The Rose Wagner Gallery will feature “Block Prints By Everett Ruess” March 14-30 in partnership with Utah Arts Council’s Traveling Exhibition Program. Ken Sanders Rare Books will offers “Everett Ruess Found! Two Weeks Only!” March 17-30 in partnership with the University of Utah’s Marriott Library Special Collections. Opening receptions for both gallery shows will be held Friday, March 21 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. as part of the monthly Gallery Stroll.

Plan-B and the Salt Lake Film Society also offer a free screening (with an option to contribute to Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance) of Diane Orr’s film “Lost Forever: Everett Ruess” on Tuesday, March 18, at 7 p.m. at the Tower Theatre.

The American West Center at the University of Utah also will present a post-show discussion with Ken Sanders, W.L. “Bud” Rusho and Threedy (along with the cast) on Sunday, March 16, at 4 p.m.