REAL PEOPLE REAL STORIES

Perennial audience favorite REAL PEOPLE REAL STORIES (RPRS) returns to the Ancram Opera House on Sunday Nov. 12 at 2pm with four stories about friendship, mental health, love affairs (of the four-legged kind), and new beginnings. Tickets are $25, or $15 for students with ID, and available at ancramoperahouse.org.

Storytellers for RPRS Fall Edition are:

Anne Undeland, from Lanesborough, MA, is a playwright and actor whose written work has been performed around the country. When she’s not swinging hammers at her 200-year-old house, she’s writing a solo play about Mozart’s wife. Anne’s story is a reminder that you never know what’s behind an unopened door.

Marisa Russello, who hails from just north of Hudson, NY, is a writer and peer specialist offering support and resources in wellness and mental health recovery. Her writing has been features in Slate, Hypertext, Catapult, and Brevity. Marisa is working on a memoir entitled Everything You Can’t Control. Her story is about how other people’s perspectives can change the course of someone’s life. 

Emily Soell, from Sharon, CT, was Vice Chair/Chief Creative Officer at two major NYC-based direct marketing advertising agencies. After retirement she returned to her first love – acting – and has performed at the Sharon Playhouse and on the HBO TV series The Leftovers. She was elected Board President of the Sharon Playhouse in 2017. Emily’s story is about her mother, her dog Nicky, her friend Joanie, and Judaism – not necessarily in that order.

Macey Levin is a retired teacher from Long Island. He has spent many years in the theatre and lives with his wife, his dachshund, and his turtle in Taconic, CT. Macey’s story is about his love affair with a dog. 

REAL PEOPLE REAL STORIES is an audience favorite and mainstay in AOH’s seasonal programming. The RPRS approach involves a series of storytelling workshops where local residents develop and shape their monologues with guidance from program director Paul Ricciardi. The results are an array of poignant, humorous, and captivating tales that celebrate community and personal connection.

This edition of Real People Real Stories is generously supported by Copake Wine Works.

Ancram Opera House is an award-winning theater located in New York’s Hudson Valley. Housed in an historic Grange Hall, AOH has since 2016 presented groundbreaking theater and musical performances by nationally recognized theater artists. AOH 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 more information visit www.ancramoperahouse.org.

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