[Capdist-announce] Go Behind the Scenes to Support Community Storytelling and Education Programs at Ancram Center for the Arts

[Lauren Letellier]

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*

*Contact: pr at ancramcenter.org <pr at ancramcenter.org>*



*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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[image: Screenshot 2024-04-25 at 7.09.18 PM.png]

Taconic HIlls Elementary 4th, 5th and 6th graders tell their stories at
"Real People Real Stories Taconic Hills Edition," November 2023.  Photos:
B. Docktor
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