Ancram Opera House to Close All-Virtual 2020 Season With REAL PEOPLE REAL STORIES: TACONIC HILLS

Ancram Opera House will close its all-virtual 2020 season on Saturday, Dec. 12 with REAL PEOPLE REAL STORIES: TACONIC HILLS, featuring 5th and 6th grade storytellers from the Taconic Hills Central School District in Columbia County, NY. The event will be streamed free online, but registration is required. RSVP at https://www.ancramoperahouse.org/rprs-taconic-hills

Student participation in this special edition of REAL PEOPLE REAL STORIES evolved from a Storytelling Workshop that AOH Co-Director Paul Ricciardi is leading at the school this fall. Designed to prepare students for a curriculum unit about personal narrative writing, the workshop has been made possible through a grant from the Fund for Columbia County.

"Since October I've worked with 145 students from 11 THCSD classes to help them develop and tell a story about memorable event in their life," said Ricciardi. "The exciting act of telling the story provides a structure for the students to then express that story as a written narrative."

Ten students volunteered to participate in REAL PEOPLE REAL STORIES on Dec. 12; stories will range from discovering how guinea pigs swim, enduring (several) broken arms, getting lost in the Bahamas, and more. Beth Flores will also be a special guest at the performance.

REAL PEOPLE REAL STORIES, which is curated and directed by Ricciardi, has been a signature Ancram Opera House event since the theater opened its doors in 2015. "Working with community members, whether they're 10 years old or 97 years old, reminds me of how connected we are," said Ricciardi. "I think the students have enjoyed discovering how telling stories can be a powerful way of communicating in the world."

In addition to his role as AOH Co-Director, Paul Ricciardi is an Associate Professor of Theatre Arts at the City University of New York - Kingsborough CC.

Ancram Opera House in southern Columbia County is an intimate showcase for fresh, contemporary work by visionary theater and musical artists, where audiences can connect with performers in immersive, immediate ways. For more information visit www.ancramoperahouse.org.

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