Stella And Stanley Shouting Contest

Each year, the annual Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival ends with a bevy of wannabe Stanleys bellow to love-torn Stellas positioned on a balcony in Jackson Square — and the roles are reversed when a woman is doing the shouting. This year, Nicole Martin took first place with her yelling "Stanley!" This annual riff on characters from the play and movie "A Streetcar Named Desire" also brought Bryan Buckles a second-place award.

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

A shout out now for the winner of this year's annual Stanley and Stella Shouting Contest.

NICOLE MARTIN: Stanley.

SIEGEL: That is Nicole Martin, who won first place with that vigorous shout to an actor on a New Orleans balcony portraying Stanley Kowalski, the character from "A Street Car Named Desire." Bryan Buckles won second place.

BRYAN BUCKLES: Stella.

SIEGEL: Stella, was what he said. The event was held yesterday as part of the 26th annual Tennessee Williams New Orleans Literary Festival and, with whatever vocal prowess they have remaining, Nicole Martin and Bryan Buckles join us now.

Welcome and congratulations.

BUCKLES: Hi.

MARTIN: Hi. Thank you.

SIEGEL: And then, Nicole, first, how did you prepare for this? How did you channel your inner Stella Kowalski?

MARTIN: I think it's pretty easy to imagine how I would yell if they had raped my sister while she was in a mentally altered state.

SIEGEL: So this was a method approach that you used?

MARTIN: I wouldn't quite call it method. A lot of the method was liquid courage.

SIEGEL: OK. Bryan, was there some liquid method involved in your preparation?

BUCKLES: Oh, yeah. Of course. But I had a friend of mine's wife, who was coaching me before this, to tell me exactly. I've never seen the movie.

SIEGEL: I want you each to tell us, when you're not acting the role of Stella in public in New Orleans, what do you do?

MARTIN: I am a legal assistant and I also am a member of a book club and that's how I became familiar with the play.

SIEGEL: And, Bryan, what do you do in real life?

BUCKLES: I build houses and play a lot of golf.

SIEGEL: And do you know anyone named Stella?

BUCKLES: Actually, I do. We bowl on Friday and the name Stella - and every time I see her at the bowling alley, I get on my knees and I scream, Stella, and I really do it. And I called her last night and actually (unintelligible) my inspiration (unintelligible) actually won.

SIEGEL: And Nicole Martin, do you know any Stanleys? It's a more common name.

MARTIN: Not at all, actually, but Marlon Brando as a young man looked a lot like my grandfather as a young man.

SIEGEL: Brando who, of course, played Stanley Kowalski famously, first on stage and then in the movie. Well, what did you both win for this?

BUCKLES: I think everybody got the same gifts if you were first and second and I don't know if she got her case of beer, but I wanted to let her know she won a case of beer and we won a massage and then we won a steam boat, a hat, t-shirt, a bucket and some wine glasses.

SIEGEL: And, Nicole, you won the very same prizes or...

MARTIN: Yes. I think I did win the same prizes, but I did not get my case of beer. I'll be sure to track that down.

BUCKLES: Yeah. A friend of mine still has it, but I couldn't find you and I had left. But he called me last night and said, yeah. They had the case of beer, so I'll try to track it down for you if I can.

MARTIN: All right. Thank you.

BUCKLES: No problem.

SIEGEL: Well, Bryan Buckles is second place winner and Nicole Martin, first place winner. Thanks so much for talking with us about it.

MARTIN: All right. Thank you.

BUCKLES: Oh, no problem. Thank you.

SIEGEL: And we have audio of some of the people who took part, but did not win in the Tennessee Williams New Orleans Literary Festival Stanley and Stella Shouting Contest.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: Stella.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: Stella.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #3: Stella.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #4: Stella.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #2: Stanley.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #3: Stanley.

SIEGEL: That group included Dave Cameron(ph), Carlin Benz(ph), a former winner, Leora Sapon Shavin(ph), who placed third, Edmond Jurish(ph), David Melarine(ph), another former winner, Linda Freed(ph), Patrick Cary(ph), who had Stella tattooed on his back, and Xina Mitchell(ph). The sound of all the shouting courtesy of the New Orleans Times Picayune.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

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