Last week, seven storytellers from Tyler and East Texas took the stage at Liberty Hall and wowed a riveted audience during The Tyler Loop’s eighth season of true, personal, local stories. In case you couldn’t make the live show, here are some highlights to give you a taste of what you missed.
Nury Burnett
Hailing from Chile, South America, Nury Burnett talked about meeting her husband in Australia and making Tyler home through events like last August’s Andina Fest, a South and Latin American celebration.
Clarence Shackelford
Clarence Shackelford talked about the celebrities he met through his quarter-century career in multimedia at The University of Texas at Tyler. Two standouts who left a lasting impression? Coretta Scott King and Michelle Obama.
Casey Muze
Casey Muze’s story took us through his childhood in Boy Scouts and marching band as he learned about and coped with having flat feet. Muze said his condition has cultivated perseverance and a closeness to his mom.
Victoria Carpenter
Victoria Carpenter said she looks young and healthy, but she has an invisible disability. She recounted the pains of her first day of classes at Tyler Junior College with a heart monitor, a backpack of medications and explaining her condition to her instructors.
Hayley Turner
Hayley Turner, a Lindale resident, told a story about losing a beloved dog, Gabby, and finding her in her parents-in-law’s pasture while on a walk. Turner found a way to honor Gabby through flowers and song.
Camilla Ha
Camilla Ha’s story began in Seoul, Korea, where, at the age of 2, she got lost from her family for a day. Later as an adult, Ha said she got lost again: this time because of her addiction to alcohol. Part of coming home and deepening her sobriety came through finding a sponsor and a home group in Tyler.
Tim Frost
As the COVID-19 shutdown threatened Tim Frost’s employment and security, he and his son, Odin, found a new hobby: filming and posting 60 second films from their days passed in East Texas. The project stretched 500 days long and became transformational for Frost and his family.
Musical guests Ian Findlay, Rylee Biles and Donna Schorr
Guitarist Ian Findlay enriched the storytellers’ performances with his original background music.
The eighth season of Out of the Loop opened with eighth-grader Rylee Biles of the Caldwell Academy Star Band.
Caldwell Academy choir and bands director Donna Schorr brought vocal talent to the audience after intermission.
Curtain call
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