Main Street News
The Ancram Center presents Real People Real Stories, an audience favorite featuring local storytellers
On Sunday, November 17th at 3pm, the Ancram Center for the Arts will put on another installment of Real People Real Stories (RPRS), a long-time audience favorite that showcases the true stories of local residents.
Having “been a signature part of every Ancram Center season since 2016,” this RPRS will revolve around a central theme: “Things Said and Unsaid.” According to the press release announcing the production, this iteration of the well-loved performance series will include three storytellers, incorporating brief interviews with each.
About this year’s stories
This special edition of the event presents Sarah Katan, Jan Hopkins Trachtman, and Anne Undeland as they “untangle the consequences of the things they wish they’d said, the things they couldn’t say, and the questions they wish they’d asked along the way.”
Sarah’s story, featuring “[a]n unwelcome birthday pie and an unpleasant encounter at a historic site,” communicates the importance of building up courage and asking for what you want.
Meanwhile, Jan Hopkins Trachtman shares a story about tracing back the details of a family history and finding home. Her tale, which goes back seven generations to Alsace in France, focuses on an extraordinary woman and her journey across the ocean and half the country to Ohio.
Anne Undeland emphasizes the weight that comes with keeping long-held secrets and not being able to share them. Indeed, she illustrates how easily a distance can form between people in a story about two little girls.
From left to right: Sarah Katan, Anne Undeland, and Jan Hopkins Trachtman. Photos courtesy of the Ancram Center.
An important community production
“Storytelling—especially the way they do it at the Ancram Center for the Arts—is a magical thing,” Anne underscores. “The stories you’ll witness this weekend have been crafted for weeks (years in my case) by Paul Ricciardi and the storyteller, always reaching for the larger truth, the deeper secret, the thing that could never be said.”
She notes that the stories’ final, sincere realizations, when fully absorbed by all involved, can have a particularly metamorphic effect. “When the thing finally is said, in front of an audience in that Real People Real Stories context, the effect can be pretty transformational for everyone in the room.”
This enchanting and engaging storytelling opportunity wouldn’t be possible without Ancram Center founding co-director Paul Ricciardi. He points out that by holding Real People Real Stories in anticipation of the hectic holiday season, this production can provide comfort and connection amidst an understandably anxious time.
“Years ago, an audience member asked if the Ancram Center would produce an end of season holiday play. We get this desire,” Paul explains. “The end of the year can be fraught with stress—there is a need to be together…and people have a natural impulse to share stories with each other. We decided that a winter edition of RPRS would be a great way to fulfill this need for the community. We’ve been doing this for 10 years and look forward to many more!”
To purchase your tickets to Real People Real Stories, you can visit the Ancram Center’s website here, or buy tickets at the door. Tickets are $25 for general admission and $15 with a student ID. The Ancram Center for the Arts is located at 1330 County Route 7 in Ancram, NY.
To get in contact with the Ancram Center, you can reach out via phone at (518) 329-0114 or email at info@ancramcenter.org. You can also support them on Facebook and Instagram!
