<div dir="ltr"><span id="gmail-docs-internal-guid-cce74c96-7fff-443d-c5ab-a20438d6a004" style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:700;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Ancram Center for the Arts Kicks Off 10</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:700;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-size:0.6em;vertical-align:super">th</span></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:700;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> Anniversary Season </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:700;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">With </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Real People Real Stories</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.505455;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;padding:0pt 0pt 8pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.505455;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;padding:0pt 0pt 8pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Ancram Center for the Arts announced that a new edition of its perennial audience favorite </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-style:italic;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Real People Real Stories</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> will return to The Hilltop Barn at Roeliff Jansen Park on Saturday, June 28 at 7:30pm. </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Since its inaugural 2016 season, Ancram Center’s </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(32,32,32);font-style:italic;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Real People Real Stories</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(32,32,32);font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> has showcased community residents sharing true-life experiences </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">in an intimate evening that celebrates acts of courageous storytelling. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.505455;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">June’s storytellers are:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-left:36pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"></p><ul><li><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap">Simone Stevens (Stuyvesant), with a story about why it took 30 years to return to the home she knew as a child.</span><br></li><li><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Brooke Schooley (Millerton), with a story about the difficulty of answering the question, “What do you do?”</span><br></li><li><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Macey Levin (Taghkanic), with a story about the adventures of running a small theater.</span><br></li></ul><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-left:36pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-color:rgb(255,255,0);font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.505455;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;padding:0pt 0pt 8pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Paul Ricciardi, Ancram Center Co-Director and Professor, City University of New York - Kingsborough CC, curates and directs the series. “We’ve never had to look far for great stories and storytellers for this series. Every year I’m inspired by how community members show us what it means to be human, brave, and whole-hearted.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.505455;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;padding:0pt 0pt 8pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">"</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-style:italic;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Real People Real Stories </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">is an important part of our community program offerings. Over 10 seasons we’ve staged 21 productions featuring more than 60 adult and 900+</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:700;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">kid storytellers, each with an amazing tale to tell,” said Ricciardi. “Sharing true personal stories creates opportunities for our audience to deepen their understanding of themselves and each other.</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(255,0,0);font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">And, we are very proud of our ongoing commitment to extending these opportunities to children in our region. For the sixth</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:700;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">year, we’ll be back teaching storytelling at the Taconic Hills Elementary School and expanding our program for the first time with the Webutuck Central School District.” </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.505455;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The Hilltop Barn is located at 9140 NY Route 22, Hillsdale NY 12529. Tickets may be purchased online at </span><a href="http://ancramcenter.org/" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">ancramcenter.org</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">, or at the door. Price: $25 general admission, $15 with student ID. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.505455;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Celebrating its 10</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-size:0.6em;vertical-align:super">th</span></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> anniversary season, 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 is dedicated to presenting risk-taking productions and new work by nationally recognized theater artists in an intimate performance space. The Ancram Center for the Arts 2025 season is supported in part by the New York State Council on the Arts. For more  information visit </span><a href="http://www.ancramcenter.org/" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">www.ancramcenter.org</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">.</span></p></span><div style="text-align:center">#.  #.  #</div><div style="text-align:center"><br></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="cid:ii_mc3q94vf0" alt="Simone Stevens headshot.jpg" width="542" height="361"><br></div>Simone Stevens<div><br></div><div><br></div><div><img src="cid:ii_mc3q9ipo1" alt="Brooke Schooley Headshot.jpeg" width="434" height="542"><br></div><div>Brooke Schooley</div><div><br></div><div><img src="cid:ii_mc3qa4uw2" alt="Macey Levin Headshot.jpeg" width="208" height="243"><br></div><div>Macey Levin</div></div>