Ancram Center For The Arts Continues 10th Anniversary Season With PENELOPE and REAL PEOPLE REAL STORIES

Ancram Center for the Arts’ 10th anniversary season continues this fall with three productions highlighting the theater’s commitment to bold, risk-taking work. The lineup includes Penelope, a cabaret-style reimagining of The Odyssey told from the perspective of Odysseus’s wife; Framed: The Murder of Beulah Simons, a new musical mystery in development; and Real People Real Stories, the Center’s signature storytelling program.

Penelope (Sept. 19–28)

Kicking off the fall is Penelope, a feminist musical retelling of Homer’s epic, with music and lyrics by Alex Bechtel and a book by Bechtel, Grace McLean, and Eva Steinmetz, who also directs. Broadway’s Grace McLean (Suffs) stars as Penelope in the first-ever theatrical run to feature her in the role she helped write. Accompanied by a five-piece band, McLean gives voice to a character too often relegated to the sidelines, offering wit, resilience, and sharp commentary on 20 years of waiting while Odysseus fights and wanders.

“Meanwhile, Penelope—trapped at home, lonely and isolated—ran the city of Ithaca and fended off suitors,” said Co-Director Paul Ricciardi. “This version is a refreshingly feminist take on the Greek epic. And this Penelope has a lot to say.”

Play Lab Residency: Framed (Oct. 19 at 4 p.m.)

Next, Ancram Center presents a staged workshop of Framed: The Murder of Beulah Simons, by award-winning playwright and Ancram resident Mary Murfitt (Cowgirls). Based on a true story from 1940s Ancram, the piece explores a love triangle that ends in murder and a questionable trial that convicts a young farmhand. With book and lyrics by Murfitt and music by Murfitt and Pam Drews Phillips, the project will be shared as part of Ancram’s Play Lab series, which supports new theatrical work in development.

Real People Real Stories (Nov. 22 at 3 p.m.)

Closing out the 2025 season is Real People Real Stories, a community storytelling event where Hudson Valley residents take the stage to share humorous, heartfelt, and surprising true tales. Since 2016, the program has become a cherished tradition, celebrating the voices and experiences of local neighbors.

Ticket Information

All performances take place at Ancram Center for the Arts, 1330 County Route 7, Ancram, NY 12502.

• Penelope: Sept. 19–28, Thurs–Sat at 7 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m.

• Framed: The Murder of Beulah Simons: Sunday, Oct. 19 at 4 p.m.

• Real People Real Stories: Saturday, Nov. 22 at 3 p.m.