Go Behind the Scenes to Support Community Storytelling and Education Programs at Ancram Center for the Arts

Ancram Center for the Arts will host “Behind the Scenes: Real People Real Stories,” on Saturday, May 11 from 5-7pm to raise funds for its many free storytelling and theater-making workshops throughout the year. The benefit will feature performances by Ancram Center storytellers and conversations that pull back the curtain on how to turn personal experiences into memorable tales. Hors d’oeuvres and wine, courtesy of Copake Wine Works, will be served. Tickets are $100 and tax deductible to the extent allowed by law, and available at ancramcenter.org.

Much has been written about how storytelling builds trust, cultivates empathy, and helps people connect. “Storytelling is one of the oldest forms of communication; it’s how we come to know ourselves and each other,” said Paul Ricciardi, Co-Director of Ancram Center and award-winning Professor of Theater Arts at City University of New York-Kingsborough Community College. Ricciardi developed “Real People Real Stories,” a production featuring local storytellers, that has become an Ancram Center audience favorite. He also leads the Center’s storytelling workshops for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders at Taconic Hills Elementary School. 

“Over the last nine years Ancram Center has hosted 224 free workshops, 22 storyteller events with 51 storytellers, and coached more than 900 students from Taconic Hills Elementary in the art of storytelling,” said Ricciardi. “We love doing this work, having seen first hand that when people tell their stories, it can have a transformative effect on their lives. But like everything else, these programs require resources, and that’s why we’re inviting our Ancram Center community to support our efforts.”

Behind the Scenes: Real People Real Stories will take place at the Ancram Center for the Arts, 1330 County Route 7, Ancram, NY.

Ancram Center for the Arts is an award-winning theater located in New York's Hudson Valley. Housed in an historic Grange Hall, Ancram Center has since 2016 presented groundbreaking theater and musical performances by nationally recognized theater artists. Ancram Center for the Arts receives significant annual support from the New York State Council on the Arts and in 2023 was awarded a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. For tickets and information visit www.ancramcenter.org.

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