<div dir="ltr"><span id="gmail-docs-internal-guid-701d0e69-7fff-a237-380b-fe2be32fa6a0"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;text-align:right;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;text-align:right;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">May 28, 2022</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;text-align:right;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">CONTACT: </span><a href="mailto:paul@ancramoperahouse.org" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,255);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">paul@ancramoperahouse.org</span></a></p><br><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">ANCRAM OPERA HOUSE SEEKS LOCAL STORYTELLERS </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">FOR NEXT </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">REAL PEOPLE REAL STORIES </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">An evening of homegrown stories told by local residents</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Ancram Opera House seeks local storytellers for its popular series REAL PEOPLE REAL STORIES, which will take place on Saturday, June 25 at 8 pm in The Hilltop Barn at the Roeliff Jansen Park in Hillsdale, NY. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Interested participants can email a story summary to <a href="mailto:paul@ancramoperahouse.org">paul@ancramoperahouse.org</a>. The deadline to submit stories is Monday, June 6. All stories must be true, experienced first-hand by the storyteller, and run no more than 15 minutes.  </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Ancram Opera House Director Paul Ricciardi created REAL PEOPLE REAL STORIES in 2016, and now conducts storytelling workshops throughout the region, including an ongoing residency at Taconic Hills Central School District. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“REAL PEOPLE REAL STORIES has become an audience favorite that we produce twice a year” said Ricciardi. “It seems that now, more than ever, people have a deep need to listen to, and tell stories.” </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Ricciardi works with storytellers to help them prepare their stories for the stage. “The goal is not to create a polished monologue, but to allow the spontaneity of a real-life story to shine through,” he said. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The Roeliff Jansen Park Hilltop Barn, where REAL PEOPLE REAL STORIES will take place, is located at 116 Old Route 22, Hillsdale, NY, across from the Roeliff Jansen Community Library. Ancram Opera House is located at 1330 County Route 7, in Ancram. For more information visit </span><a href="http://www.ancramoperahouse.org" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">www.ancramoperahouse.org</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">###</span></p></span><br class="gmail-Apple-interchange-newline"><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div>Gail M. Burns<br>57 Linden Street<br>Williamstown, MA 01267-2511<br>413-458-4246 home</div><div><a href="mailto:gailmburns@roadrunner.com" target="_blank">gburns35@gmail.com</a><br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div>Editor & Webmaster for Berkshire on Stage </div><div dir="ltr"><a href="https://berkshireonstage.blog/" target="_blank">https://berkshireonstage.blog/</a><br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">PR & Marketing for the Ancram Opera House</div><div dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.ancramoperahouse.org/" target="_blank">https://www.ancramoperahouse.org/</a><br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div>Social Media & Webmaster for WAM Theatre</div><div><a href="https://www.wamtheatre.com/" target="_blank">https://www.wamtheatre.com/</a><br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Social Media for Alison Larkin Presents, Dolores Heights Improvement Club, Williamstown Community Chest, and the Williamstown Historical Museum</div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div>Freelance Writer</div><div dir="ltr"><div><a href="http://www.GailSez.org" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>