DON’T BE AN A**HOLE
Brad Hall ’75 gives the Class of 2015 advice on how to be a great, big, classy, fabulous failure
H
ilarious and self-deprecating best describe the keynote address that marked the occasion of the 174th Commencement and Brad Hall’s return to the Williston Northampton School. The actor, writer, and director began his remarks, which would end with an off-color song, by noting that he had been having a recurring nightmare about returning to Williston Northampton to give an oral report—dressed as Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Pausing for a moment, so the audience could take in his black, formal robes, Mr. Hall quipped, “Thank you for helping my most horrible dreams to come true.” One of television’s creative powerhouses—who has been involved in such shows as “Frasier,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and “Parks and Recreation,” among others—Mr. Hall has described his career as having achieved “the weird distinction of having done just about every creative job in television.”
After majoring in theater at Northwestern University, he attended the Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts, and Drama Studio in London. Mr. Hall was a co-founder and artistic director of the Practical Theatre Co. in Chicago and wrote and and performed on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.” Mr. Hall has recently written and directed two award-winning short films, “Picture Paris,” a dark comedy starring his wife, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and a documentary about an art collection that becomes an education for African American kids in Harlem, “Generosity of Eye.” On May 24, after comparing his own experience at Williston Northampton to living in a teepee during the ice age and hunting mastodons, Mr. Hall noted that the 139 seniors “seem to really appreciate the gifts you’ve been given.” “What am I supposed to tell you guys about the future?” he asked. “You guys literally are the future.” He did, however, wish the Class of 2015 both tremendous success and fabulous failures—particularly the humility and compassion that could be learned through the latter. “There are times when a little suffering, a little hardship, and a little failure have value,” he said. “Even those of us lucky enough to receive a Williston education will someday fail.” In a wonderfully wry finale, that drew a standing ovation from the senior class, Mr. Hall concluded his speech with a song he had written for the occasion called, “Don’t Be An A**hole.” “I’ve been to a lot of commencements in my 30 years—that’s professionally and then as a student—and I guarantee you’ll remember that one for the rest of your life,” laughed Head of School Robert W. Hill III, who took the stage following Mr. Hall.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS EXCERPT
So, you did it, Class of 2015! You are graduating! You have been looking forward to this day, your high school graduation day, for at least 13 years. That’s how long you’ve been going to school. Can you believe that? Thirteen years, for nine months a year, five days a week—or in some cruel, barbaric institutions, six days a week. Well, now it’s over. You are through with school forever. Congratulations. You will never again have to attend another class, read another book, or write another paper, or get up before noon. Oh—wait a second. That’s right. You’re just graduating from high school. Now you’ve got to go to college. And then graduate school. And then post-graduate school. And then prison, which is seven days a week unless you get one of these cool ankle bracelets… Can we go back and talk about Saturday classes for second? Guys, I know you’re used to it, and some of you like it, but that’s insane. I know I went to school here a long time ago, and most things have gotten MUCH better, but at least we didn’t have Saturday classes. We didn’t have Monday classes either. Or Wednesday or Friday. We had classes Tuesday mornings and then for a few minutes on Thursday. That was the Williston way. Read the rest of Mr. Hall’s speech at www.willistonblogs.com/speeches or watch his remarks and song at www. youtube.com/willistonnorthampton
FALL 2015 BULLETIN 11