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September 13, 2023 33 mins

About This Episode

This week, we're excited to welcome the amazing storyteller, Ladi Loera, and then listen to his hilarious true story, 5 Calls.

About the Playwright / Storyteller

Ladi Loera is an artist, animal lover and award winning storyteller.

He won the Moth with a story about sympathetic nausea and what it teaches us about love and connection.

He is a homebody, whose idea of traveling the globe is going to a different HEB. If you're ever looking for him, he's most likely at home.


Chapters

  • (00:00) Welcome to Stories Found
  • (00:31) This week's featured organization is Testify, a live storytelling show in Texas
  • (02:17) Tell us a little bit about your story
  • (04:41) This story takes place in Houston, and you do such a great job describing the setting
  • (05:54) Austin has such a fantastic storytelling scene
  • (08:38) When did you tell your first story
  • (13:30) How do you personally know when something is a story versus just an anecdote
  • (16:59) One thing I have run into is explaining this genre
  • (18:12) I do have one final question for you
  • (19:55) 5 Calls read by Ladi Loera
  • (32:35) Thanks for listening to Stories Found

Featured Organization

Testify is a live storytelling show in Austin, Texas.

All the stories told at Testify are true stories told by the people that lived them. Join them each month to hear folks share a part of their lives with you.

And, if you have a story to tell, they'd love to hear it. They take submissions all year long. They have themes suggested for each month, but they give wide room for interpretation of the themes.

What's your story?


Support the Show

Want to show the world how much you love comedy and supporting the arts? We've got a list of fun ways to help support the show: https://storiesfound.com/support


Let's be BFFs!

Subscribe to our newsletter! storiesfound.substack.com


Thanks for listening to Stories Found! We heart you.

Stories Found was recorded at ELA Studios, deep in the heart of Austin, Texas.

 

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