THIS IS MY STORY, THIS IS MY SONG
AN EVENING WITH FANNY CROSBY
Written and Performed by Shellie O’Neal
KLTV – Proud of East Texas: Shellie O’Neal
Upcoming Performances
Date | Venue | Location |
---|---|---|
August 23, 2019 | Crossroads Christian Church | Grand Prairie, TX |
September 14, 2019 | First Baptist Church | Joaquin, TX 7 pm |
September 29, 2019 | TBA | Mixon, TX |
Sun, Oct 13, 2019 | TBD | Mt. Pleasant, TX |
Nov 4, 2019 | Assembly of God Convention | Vail, CO |
June 28, 2020 | Shreveport Summer Music Festival | Shreveport, LA |
Shellie has long been inspired by the life and work of Fanny Crosby: she first learned of Mrs. Crosby in a Sunday School class when she was 7 years old. Thirty-one years later, while Shellie was writing a children’s religious play, she encountered Fanny’s story again and felt God leading her to write a play she could perform about this remarkable woman. O’Neal penned this play after conducting research which culminated in a trip to New York City, where she visited the New York Institution for the Blind where Crosby received her education and served as a teacher. She also visited the New York Public Library and viewed Crosby’s personal scrapbook; the Bowery Mission where Crosby did social work; and Plymouth Church, where Crosby listened to her favorite preachers. O’Neal has written 26 plays, two of which have won Texas state playwriting competitions. This is her first one-woman show.
Dr. O’Neal received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Theatre from The University of Texas at Tyler and her Ph.D. in Theatre from Louisiana State University. She taught for three years at U.T. Tyler and for the past 20 years has served as Director of Theatre at Navarro College in Corsicana, where she has directed over 70 productions. She is a member of St. John’s Church in Corsicana where she sings in the choir.
Shellie has performed her play about the life of Fanny Crosby over 150 times in a variety of venues and locations in Texas, including Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Corsicana, Carthage, Frost, Gilmer, Turnertown, the Woods and Snap communities, Lampasas, Kerens and Troup. She celebrated her fortieth birthday by performing this play at the Bowery Mission in New York City, a mission where Fanny often ministered to those less fortunate than she. Shellie has also performed this piece in Italy and in states outside Texas, including Colorado, Arizona, Louisiana, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
Past Performances:
Date | Venue | Location | |
---|---|---|---|
February 12, 2017 | Baptist Church | Houston area – 5 pm | |
March 28, 2017 | Jacksonville Baptist College | Jacksonville, TX – 7 pm | |
June 22, 2017 | home of Sharla Allen | Corsicana, TX – 7:00 pm | |
June 26, 2017 | First United Methodist Church | Brazoria, TX – 11:00 am | |
June 27, 2017 | South Main Baptist Church | Houston, TX – 12:30 pm | |
August 14, 2017 | Emmanuel Baptist Church | Bryan, TX – 6:00 pm | |
September 6, 2017 | First United Methodist Church | Longview, TX – 7:00 pm | |
September 15, 2017 | Park Cities Baptist Church | Dallas, TX – 6 pm | |
January 19, 2016 | McGuire's Restaurant | Frisco, TX | |
January 31, 2016 | Summit Methodist Church | Marshall, TX | |
February 17, 2016 | Kinsloe House | Corsicana, TX | |
March 15, 2016 | First Baptist Church | Richardson, TX | |
May 3, 2016 | Columbus Ave. Baptist Church | Waco, TX | |
May 22, 2016 | TBD | Ferrara, Italy | |
June 27, 2016 | South Main Baptist Church | Houston, TX | |
January 10, 2016 | Memorial Baptist Church | Corsicana, TX | |
November 12, 2015 | Stilwell Retirement Home | Waco, TX | |
October 18, 2015 | First United Methodist Church | Vernon, TX | |
October 11, 2015 | First Baptist Church | McGregor, TX | |
September 25, 2015 | Stonebriar Church | Frisco, TX | |
July 30, 2015 | First Baptist Church | Gladewater, Texas | |
July 19, 2015 | Episcopal Church of the Epiphany | Flagstaff, AZ | |
July 12, 2015 | First Baptist Church | Tyler, TX | |
June 25, 2015 | First Baptist Church | Woodway, TX | |
June 23, 2015 | Northwest Baptist Church" | Dallas, TX | |
June 7, 2015 | First Christian Church | Longview, TX | |
May 28, 2015 | First Baptist Church | Longview, TX | |
May 3, 2015 | Coggins Ave. Baptist Church | Brownwood, TX | |
March 27, 2015 | St. Michael's Episcopal Church | Longview,TX | |
February 25, 2015 | South Texas District Council of AG | Kerrville,TX | |
January 31, 2015 | Jubilee Theatre | Waco, TX | |
November 25, 2014 | The Point at CC Young | Dallas | |
November 23, 2014 | First Presbyterian Church | Mesquite | |
October 4, 2014 | Central Texas Conference, UMW St. Barnabas UMC | Arlington | |
October 3, 2014 | Women's Forum | Longview | |
May 4, 2014 | Turnertown Baptist Church | Turnertown | |
April 27, 2014 | Grace Baptist Church | Waco | |
April 27, 2014 | Bosqueville Baptist Church | Bosqueville | |
April 25, 2014 | Beaumont Bible Church | Beaumont | |
January 26, 2014 | Grace United Methodist Church | Copperas Cove, TX | |
January 23, 2014 | SAGU | Waxahachie, TX | |
January 6, 2014 | First Baptist Church | Killeen, TX | |
December 3, 2013 | Decatur, TX | ||
October 13, 2013 | Central Presbyterian Church | Wortham, TX | |
October 1, 2013 | Highland Oaks Church of Christ | Garland, TX | |
September 29, 2013 | New World United Methodist Church | Arlington, TX | |
August 20, 2013 | Mexia, TX | ||
August 18, 2013 | First United Methodist Church | Gilmer, TX | |
July 18, 2013 | Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ | Washington, D.C. | |
June 9, 2013 | Believers Bible Church | Corsicana, TX | |
June 2, 2013 | Kerens Presbyterian Church | Kerens, TX | |
May 30, 2013 | First Baptist Church | Forney, TX | |
May 21, 2013 | Champion Forest Baptist Church | Houston, TX | |
April 7, 2013 | First Baptist Church | Graham, TX | |
November 2012 | First Baptist Church | Hewitt, TX | |
November 2012 | Chapel of Ease, St. John’s Church | Eureka, TX | |
October 2012 | First Baptist Church | Blooming Grove, TX | |
September 23, 2012 | First United Methodist Church | Corsicana, TX | |
September 9, 2012 | First United Methodist Church | Brady, TX | |
August 12, 2012 | First United Methodist Church | Grand Saline, TX | |
July 22, 2012 | First Baptist Church | Corsicana, TX | |
July 15, 2012 | First Baptist Church | Lampasas, TX | |
July 1, 2012 | Woods New Hope Baptist Church | Old Center, TX | |
June 24, 2012 | The Bowery Mission | New York City, NY | |
June 22, 2012 | The Bowery Mission | New York City, NY | |
June 10, 2012 | First United Methodist Church | Kerens, TX | |
June 3, 2012 | Westminster Presbyterian Church | Corsicana, TX | |
May 2, 2012 | Kinsloe House | Corsicana, TX | |
April 22, 2012 | Gilmer Church of Christ | Gilmer, TX | |
April 15, 2012 | St. John’s Church | Corsicana, TX | |
April 4, 2012 | St. Luke’s Methodist Church | Corsicana, TX | |
April 1, 2012 | Northside Baptist Church | Corsicana, TX | |
March 11, 2012 | Troup Baptist Church | Troup, TX | |
February 19, 2012 | Turnertown Baptist Church | Turnertown, TX | |
February 12, 2012 | Frost Baptist Church | Frost, TX | |
February 9, 2012 | Navarro College | Corsicana, TX | |
January 8, 2012 | Cedar Grove Baptist Church | Snap, TX | |
December 2011 | Home of Betty McEver – Christmas party | Troup, TX | |
November 27, 2011 | Central Baptist Church | Carthage, TX | |
November 24, 2011 | Navarro College | Corsicana, TX |