Shout It Out at The Stella Shouting Contest
Head on over to Jackson Square for the iconic Stella Shouting Contest on Sunday, March 17 at 2 p.m.
It is a free contest open to the public, so you might as well check it out. This contest is dedicated to one specific scene from the Tennessee Williams play A Streetcar Named Desire. Who knew there would be a contest solely based on the play's scene of Stanley yelling to Stella? It's New Orleans, so there's a festival, contest, event, or parade for anything and everything.
There will be celebrity judges to watch you shout your heart out at the Stella Shouting Contest. Actors Alexandra Daddario and Leslie Castay will be the judges. Actor Bryan Batt will host and historian Errol Laborde will serve as the contest emcee. This is a sponsored event by The Goldring Family Foundation.
The contest will also act as a fundraiser for the New Orleans Family Justice Center. The NOFJC assists those who have been impacted by domestic violence. They will be introducing their new suicide hotline number, 9-8-8, to ensure everyone has access to help if they are experiencing a mental health crisis or domestic abuse.
This year's Stella Shouting Contest is set to bring in the Tennessee Williams and New Orleans Literary Festival. The festival is celebrating its 38th year of commemorating literature, theatre, New Orleans' unique heritage, and Tennessee Williams himself. The festival will take place from March 20-24. Tickets to the fest's individual events are on sale now, ranging from $10 to $45.
Pulitzer Prize recipient Michael Cunningham, winner of the National Book Award Justin Torres, and award winning novelist Colm Tóibín will be guest speakers at the Tennessee Williams Festival, as well as many other speakers that will be present at the fest.
Another literary festival, the Saints and Sinners LGBTQ+ Literary Festival, will also be taking place on the same weekend of March 22-24. This will be their 21st year celebrating.
For more information about the Tennessee Williams and New Orleans Literary Festival, visit tennesseewilliams.net.
