W hen it comes to proving her worth, carnelle scott thinks winning brookhaven, mississippis annual fourth of july beauty pageant, the miss firecracker contest, will be her ticket to greater selfconfidence. Willow gregory entered the miss firecracker contest on a dareand won. The miss firecracker contest is a southern literature play written by beth henley. Act 1, scene 1 as the miss firecracker contest opens, carnelle scott is practicing her talent routine for the upcoming fourth of july beauty pageant in brookhaven, mississippi.
The miss firecracker contest south camden theatre company. The miss firecracker contest play monologues stageagent. This boisterous and bold dark comedy, a true beth henley play, explores human nature through the slightly largerthanlife, and finds earnest humor and satire in many of the same places. Miss firecracker is a 1989 american comedy film directed by thomas schlamme. The debutante ball is a fulllength comedic drama by pulitzer prizewinning author beth henley. Mississippian carnelle holly hunter, readying herself for the pageant, introduces two allies, alfre woodard as popeye, who s engaged to create her costume, and scott glenn as carnie mac whom, we learn, is her itinerant boyfriend, early in miss firecracker. It got a production at the manhattan theatre club offbroadway in 1984 directed by stephen tobolowsky, who was henleys romantic partner at the time. The miss firecracker contest fizzles at rlt triangle arts and. The 2017 little miss and mister firecracker contest is open to gallia county boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 9 years old, as of july 1, 2017.
Miss firecracker to open on broadway the new york times. The miss firecracker contest is a play about appearances. In delmont, mississippi, a beauty pageant, the miss firecracker contest, is held every. Working against her questionable, permiscuous reputation, which crowned her miss hot tamale by brookhavens citizens, carnelles practicing her tap dance routine to the. Carnelle hunter, an oversexed hellion who was orphaned as a young child, has always played second fiddle to her beautiful, older, southern belle cousin a past miss firecracker contest winner. Dramatists play service, one of the premier playlicensing and theatrical publishing agencies in the world, was formed in 1936 to foster national opportunities for playwrights by publishing affordable editions of their plays and handling the performance rights to these works. Complete summary of beth henleys the miss firecracker contest. Firecracker will represent linton in the freedom festival parade on july 4.
With holly hunter, mary steenburgen, tim robbins, alfre woodard. A seamstress, popeye jackson, arrives and carnelle hires her to make a pageant costume. Miss firecracker contest at new stage theatre the clarionledger. Few think she can win, even her closest friends and relatives e. As the miss firecracker contest opens, carnelle scott is practicing her talent routine for the upcoming fourth of july beauty pageant in brookhaven, mississippi. Sharon dixon obst directs beth henleys comedy about life in smalltown mississippi.
The miss firecracker contest characters beth henley this study guide consists of approximately 38 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the miss firecracker contest. Kirsten ehlert zestfully portrays town slutturnedbeauty pageant contestant carnelle scott in the miss firecracker contest photo by stuart. March 10 march 26, 2017 the miss firecracker contest written by beth henley. Find books like the miss firecracker contest from the worlds largest community of readers. Carnelle is furiously rehearsing her patriotic tap dance for the miss firecracker contest hoping that a victory will salvage her tarnished reputation as the towns miss hot tamale and allow her to leave brookhaven in a crimson blaze of. Join stageagent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. It stars holly hunter, mary steenburgen, tim robbins, alfre woodard, and scott glenn. In miss firecracker, the playwright beth henley has taken such a contest, the fourth of july pageant in yazoo city, miss. Also set in a small mississippi town brookhaven, it follows the trials and tribulations of carnelle scott, a twentyfouryearold woman with a bad reputation in town who seeks to redeem herself by winning the. Visitors can come to the limelight theatre for the southern comedy, the miss firecracker contest. Lois kerschen, critical essay on the miss firecracker contest, in drama for students, thomson gale, 2005. Henleys most successful play next to crimes of the heart. And while the miss firecracker contest is wonderfully funny in the way that all southern families are funny and offkilter trust me, i know from. The place is the small mississippi town of brookhaven, the time a few days before the fourth of july.
Both charming and irreverent, the miss firecracker contest is a wistful take on southern beauty culture and the reallife facades it so eloquently symbolizes. A small town beauty pageant sets the scene for the miss firecracker contest, a southern comedy by jacksons own beth henley. It moved to a larger offbroadway house, the westbank theater. This article is a summary of henleys career as well as an interview with her about the creation of the miss firecracker contest. The miss firecracker contest, with hunter as a young woman hellbent on rehabilitating her tarnished reputation by becoming a beauty queen, closed in. As a carpenter is she not the tearsandtiara type, and after a year of walking the straight and narrow is she ready to cut loose. The miss firecracker contest 1984 offbroadway tickets. Download the miss firecracker contest study guide subscribe now.
Carnelle isnt happy with her life, so in order to improve herself she enters a local beauty contest, trying to emulate her cousin elains win many years ago. Waking up in a strangers bed with no memory was on her mind. Goodreads members who liked the miss firecracker contest also. Winning the miss firecracker contest is all that stands between carnelle scott and leaving brookhaven in a blaze of glory. They collectively deal with family problems and individual challenges. An orphan taken in by her genteel relatives, she idolizes her older cousin, elain rutledge mary streenburgen, a former fourth of july miss firecracker contest winner who is taking time out from her life as a pampered wife in atlanta to give a speech on my life as a beauty at this years pageant. Miss firecracker contest cont 3 jen smith duration. She longs to receive the respect and admiration that her cousin elain won with the community years ago. Character descriptions carnelle scott the plays central character, carnelle is a vulnerable and selfconscious young woman. The miss firecracker contest broadway tickets, news, info. The miss firecracker contest tells the story of carnelle scott, a 24yearold woman saddled with a bad reputation a deserved one, actually. Firecracker baby freedom contest lintonstockton chamber of commerce 159 1st street nw linton, in 47441 phone.
The miss firecracker contest by beth henley, paperback. See more ideas about firecracker, brookhaven mississippi and mississippi. Arrangements for teddys debutante comingofage event are complicated by her mothers conviction for her fathers murder. Popeye is the seamstress who makes carnelles costume. The miss firecracker contest, along with other beth henley plays, is characterized as a southern gothic. A scene from the miss firecracker contest by beth henley, directed by abby illig. Miss firecracker by thomas schlamme holly hunter, mary. The film, set in yazoo city, mississippi, was written by pulitzer prize winning playwright beth henley and is based on her 1984 play, the miss firecracker contest. Tessy as she enters the dressing room carrying only the tap shoes. Please see registration for full contest rules and details. The miss firecracker contest plot summary, character breakdowns, context and analysis, and performance video clips. The miss firecracker contest by beth henley performances april 21 at 5. An eccentric southern family gathers on the eve of their misfit daughters debut.
As popeye takes measurements, she tells carnelle that she got her sewing start making outfits for bullfrogs. What is southern gothic and what elements of the miss firecracker contest fit into this category. Selected monologues from the miss firecracker contest including video examples, context and character information. This hilarious comedy begins in a small mississippi town of brookhaven a few days before the fourth of july. Miss firecracker contest the miss firecracker contest by beth henley. The miss firecracker contest directed by zach thomas wood for additional information visit. Holm is a fiction and nonfiction writer and editor. After her reputation was tarnished carnelle hopes that a victory in the contest will restore her name and allow her to leave the small town on a high note. Carnelle scott known locally as miss hot tamale is rehearsing furiously for the miss firecracker contesthoping that a victory will salvage her tarnished. Scott came to us with by the water because of his passion for the plays story and the. As are most of henleys works, this play is set in a small southern town. Chicago, il 60614 312 3351650 c 2020 steppenwolf theatre company.
In this essay, holm looks at how henley treats the theme of appearance in this play. The excitement and anticipation of the shows kickoff to a threeweek run was apparent in the audience and on stage. The plays setting is enhanced first by a warmly decorated and homey set and later, by. The miss firecracker contest by beth henley auditions for fcps production of the miss firecracker contest by beth henley will be held on saturday, december, 2014, from 2. Its heroine, carnelle, is an irrepressible young woman who thinks that winning the local beauty contest will restore her soiled reputation and make.
From the author of crimes of the heart, the miss firecracker contest is a southern gothic comedy for which henley is best known. Henley managed to recover ever so slightly with her next venture, the miss firecracker contest, which never made it to broadway but instead enjoyed a modest run offbroadway beginning in 1984. Dps offers an extensive list of titles that includes many of the most significant plays of the past century. Beth henleys play the miss firecracker contest, which won critical praise in its off broadway run in 1984, will be mounted on broadway this spring, starring the emmynominated amber tamblyn joan of arcadia, the shows producers announced on tuesday. Multiple links are listed since a different versions exist and b many scripts posted become unavailable over time. In the miss firecracker contest, beth henley deftly uses comedy and southern drama to explore family ties, and how small town values and the societal definition of beauty confine women. Maybe i should go on and get your measurements off you right now if ya dont mind.
Carnelle scott known locally as miss hot tamale is rehearsing furiously for the miss firecracker contesthoping that a victory will salvage her tarnished reputation and allow her to leave town in a blaze of glory. At age 17, elain won the title of miss firecracker in the local beauty contest and carnelle never forgot the sight of her beloved cousin riding atop. The miss firecracker contest characters breakdowns including full descriptions with standard casting requirements and expert analysis. This study guide consists of approximately 38 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the miss firecracker contest. Tamblyn will play carnelle scott, a lonely young woman in mississippi who hopes that persevering in the patriotic pageant of. Carnelle scott known locally as miss hot tamale is rehearsing furiously for the miss firecracker contesthoping that a victory will. Carnelle interacts with her zany group of relatives and friends on her path to victory and the salvation of her tarnished reputation. The play is set in the small southern town of brookhaven, mississippi, and tells an archetypical story of a young woman trying to reinvent herself. Scott directed at south camden theatre company in 2016 bringing our audience the miss firecracker contest. Theatre arlingtons production of the miss firecracker contest was a pleasant way to start my weekend as i attended opening night this past friday. Carnelle scott lives in the small town of brookhaven, mississippi and is desperately trying to win the miss firecracker title. The miss firecracker contest is reynoldss favorite henley comedy, and several of henleys plays have shown at new stage. Tessy, the beauty contest coordinator, offers last minute encouragement.
Miss firecracker this is a delightful over the top crazy characterization of a small town beauty pageant held in yazoo city. The miss firecracker contest play characters stageagent. In the miss firecracker contest, carnelle scott is a southern orphan living in brookhaven, mississippi. This is not new material, but henley replaces some of the painful sincerity with.
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