News
Historical Theater: Huey P. Long Speaks to the School for Louisiana’s Bicentennial
[FULL STORY]
April 30, 2012 was Louisiana’s bicentennial, the 200th anniversary of the state being admitted into the Union. In observance of the day, Newman hosted a Bicentennial Bash, which included games, events and a Louisiana lunch to commemorate the state’s birthday. As part of the festivities, the middle and upper school students were treated to a special speech right out of history: a campaign speech by former Governor Huey P. Long, played by sophomore and debate champion Matthew Meyer ’14. During regular advisory period, the students and faculty gathered on Usdin Patio to hear the historical figure speak.
Standing on a landing of the Palaestra stairwell over a campaign banner emblazoned with the slogan “Every Man a King,” Meyer stepped up to the microphone and delivered a moving speech straight out of the troubling times of the Great Depression. Rich in imagery and bursting with hyperbole, Long’s speech capitalized on the gulf between the haves and have-nots with a “share the wealth” platform. The speech offered a window into Louisiana’s past and offered the listeners a snapshot of one of Louisiana’s most colorful and controversial leaders.
Meyer, who is a rising star and award-winning member of Newman’s debate team, spent weeks preparing for the event. In his performance, he mirrored Long’s speaking style and matched his mannerisms. We interviewed Meyer to find out how he prepared for the event.
How did you prepare for the speech?I had finished splicing together the speech about a week before the performance, but only started memorizing the day before. In order to try to capture Huey’s distinctive speaking style, I spent quite a bit of time watching YouTube videos of him speaking. I was even able to find a video of him giving the same speech that I gave! After getting to know Huey’s gestures and styles, I simply practiced the speech a few times, in Huey’s speaking style, in front of a mirror the day before the speech.What did you do to get into character for the event?As I mentioned before, I watched a few of Huey’s speeches, and tried to replicate his gestures in a mirror. Also, because Huey got quite passionate in front of a crowd, I tried to get myself riled up before going before the audience.What was the most difficult part of making the speech?Certainly the time constraints: Because I was attempting to fit the speech into only a four-minute period, I had to seriously shorten one of Huey’s original speeches. Because there were so many interesting facets to the full speech, I had a hard time choosing which parts to scrap, and which to keep!How was the experience of speaking before the Middle and Upper Schools?This was the largest audience I’ve ever given a speech in front of, and it was quite nerve-wracking. After all, being stared down by hundreds of your peers isn’t exactly the most comfortable environment! At first, I really felt like a deer in the headlights, being faced with such a sea of people, but as they started reacting positively to the speech, I found myself less nervous about the crowd. It was certainly a lot of fun when such a large crowd started responding to the speech with shouts and claps.
At the end of the event, Meyer as Long was showered with cheers as the Hubig’s pies he promised were delivered to the hungry students.
1903 Jefferson Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70115
Phone: 504.899.5641
Fax: 504.896.8597
Open 7:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday
New Orleans, LA 70115
Phone: 504.899.5641
Fax: 504.896.8597
Open 7:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday
An independent,
co-educational,
non-denominational day
school in New Orleans for
early childhood through 12th grade
co-educational,
non-denominational day
school in New Orleans for
early childhood through 12th grade
