Twelfth night productions to present the miss firecracker. Jon gaws firstact set the home of elain and delmounts nowdeceased. Jul 04, 2015 starring as contest hopeful carnelle scott is holly hunter, reprising the role she played in the play. The play is set in the small mississippi town of brookhaven, the time a few days before the fourth of july. Foothills community players readies a celebration with. While not a recent movie, miss firecracker is still one of the sweetest and most whimsical films ive ever seen. With holly hunter, mary steenburgen, tim robbins, alfre woodard.
The css production of the miss firecracker contest. Miss firecracker is a 1989 american comedy film directed by thomas schlamme. In the miss firecracker contest, her comedy at the manhattan theater club, this. Foothills community players is a nonprofit company and a proud member of the tennessee theatre association and the american association of community theatres.
Played with perfectly endearing charm by maggie meyer, popeye seems. The place is the small mississippi town of brookhaven, the time a few days before the fourth of july. Miss firecracker general discussions tcm message boards. To add to the complications, popeye falls in love with delmount, and the stage manager of the. It stars holly hunter, mary steenburgen, tim robbins, alfre woodard, and scott glenn. 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. The miss firecracker talent contest is brilliantthis film deserves attention. The film, set in yazoo city, mississippi, was written by pulitzer prizewinning playwright beth henley and is based on her 1984 play, the miss firecracker contest. Miss firecracker contest free download as word doc. The miss firecracker contest uses the themes of outer and inner appearances to guide these characters journeys toward a realization of true beauty.
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. As are most of henleys works, this play is set in a small southern town. Holly hunter as carnelle is absolutely perfect, while tim robbins as her possibly deranged first cousin delmar, and mary steenbergen as his beauty queen sister are equally good. Audition dates set for northwests fall production of the. The miss firecracker contest provides theatre goers with a few laughs and an absurd story. 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. May 28, 1984 when beth henley is really flying, her comic voice has the crazed yet liberating sound of a rebel yell. When you are ready to print, please highlight, copy, and paste into a document. The miss firecracker contest is a fulllength comedy by beth henley. Theres a moment in beth henleys the miss firecracker contest when popeye jackson describes viewing the moon through a telescope to delmount williams. Popeye notices a picture of carnelles cousin delmount and falls in love immediately.
Why representative louis pooleys going to be here this very year to put the crown on the winners head. In the miss firecracker contest, her comedy at the manhattan theater club. I cant say the miss firecracker contest does it for me. The miss firecracker contest plot summary, character breakdowns, context and. An orphan taken in by her genteel relatives, she idolizes her older cousin, elain rutledge, a former fourth of july miss. You can look at beth henleys the miss firecracker contest now onstage. The miss firecracker contest wins with laughs and drama. If you enjoy a bit of quirkiness and over the top performances than the miss firecracker contest will light up the stage and sparkle for. Set in the south, henleys heroine carnelle scott wont stop at anything to win the local beauty pageant in order to leave her past behind. The ensemble cast seem oddly matched and mismatched at the same time, which is underlying theme of the stage play. The miss firecracker contest is a twoact play that was originally. Played with perfectly endearing charm by maggie meyer, popeye seems not quite of this world in a good way.
The miss firecracker contest wins with laughs and drama encore. 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. If you just hit print every single monologue will print humorous all kiding aside bumsevelyn bumsmary bus stop coupla chicks. In addition to hunter, the movie also features wonderful performances by mary steenburgen as carnelles cousin elain, a former miss firecracker and alfre woodard as seamtress popeye jackson. In comes carnelles other cousin, elain, a former miss firecracker with. A delusional southern beauty surrounded by misfits and mental cases tries to build a road to redemption out of a smalltown pageant in ways that are funny but not souldestroying in the miss firecracker contest, a southern gothic play by pulitzer prizewinner beth henley, coming nov. Why, representative louis pooleys gonna be here this very year to put the crown on the winners head. Miss firecracker contest theatre department past productions. The miss firecracker contest is a southern stage comedy in the vein of steel magnolias, and this weekend, the blount countybased theatrical group foothills community players will. Thats where the storys depth isat least in my opinion. Carnelle hires popeye, an odd girl from poor beginnings, to sew her. Few think she can win, even her closest friends and relatives e. The miss firecracker contest fort hays state university. The miss firecracker contest ashland stage company, hanover arts and activities center through oct.
Aug 08, 2014 the miss firecracker contest, by beth henley, takes place in the small mississippi town of brookhaven, just a few days before the fourth of july. Dec 19, 2019 miss firecracker is a 1989 american comedy film directed by thomas schlamme. Carnelle scott known locally as miss hot tamale is rehearsing furiously for the miss firecracker contesthoping that a victory. The miss firecracker contest is set in brookhaven, mississippi during the midst of carnelles attempt to salvage her tarnished reputation as miss hot tamale through entering the miss firecracker contest, the towns annual beauty pageant held on the fourth of july. The miss firecracker contest by beth henley biz books. As the miss firecracker contest opens, carnelle scott is practicing her talent routine for the upcoming fourth of july beauty pageant in brookhaven, mississippi. Complete summary of beth henleys the miss firecracker contest. Footlight players provide bit of sparkle to the miss. On the surface, the idea of us laughing at a woman trying desperately to be judged for her talents seems out of touch with society. Popeye jackson from the miss firecracker contest summary.
The miss firecracker contest, is superficially, a comedy about a small town southern beauty pageant, in which henley reflects in a sardonic manner on how and why women put themselves through such contests. The followup to her pulitzer prizewinning crimes of the heart, this explosively funny play teems with memorable characters and demonstrates yet again authors unique gift for finding rich lodes of humour and simple wisdom in the zany activities of smalltown life. This produciton of the miss firecracker contest transferred to the westside arts theatre on october 15, 1984 and closed on january 20, 1985 after 1 performances. Then theres popeye jackson, a small, glowing person who, with the aid of a. Character description, analysis and casting breakdown for popeye jackson from the miss firecracker contest join stageagent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. Playwright beth henley continues off the success of her most famous play crimes of the heart in the late 1970s by writing a gem of a comedy, the miss firecracker contest. Carnelle scott is rehearsing furiously for the miss firecracker contest, hoping that a victory will salvage her tarnished reputation and allow her to leave the town in a blaze of glory. Carnelle scott known locally in the small mississippi town of brookhaven 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.
The miss firecracker contest, along with other beth henley plays. Carnelle scott is bestknown in her hometown of yazoo city, ms, for her unrepentant promiscuity. Carnelle scott, 24, the beauty contestant popeye jackson, 23. But shes determined to turn it around by becoming this years miss firecracker. Poignant, daft miss firecracker the new york times. The miss firecracker contest is set in the small town of brookhaven, mississippi and centers around its annual beauty pageant, the titular miss firecracker contest. Popeye is the seamstress who makes carnelles costume. There are some real gems in here, the scene where popeye alfre woodward explains how her eyes started popping out, and delmont and his former miss firecracker sister tim robbins and mary steenburgen tango through the house. The miss firecracker contest, along with other beth henley plays, is characterized as a southern gothic. Stein as carnelle scott, tori sicklick as popeye jackson in a scene from the miss firecracker contest, written by beth henley. Firecracker, a beth henley comedy the new york times.
Performed at bergen county academies june 10th, 2011. Life has thrown this lady some curveballs, and she hasnt always responded with the best game plan. Both charming and irreverent, the miss firecracker contest is a wistful take on southern beauty culture and the reallife facades it so eloquently symbolizes. Jul 20, 2019 the miss firecracker contest, along with other beth henley plays, is characterized as a southern gothic. Now, if beth henley wants to write an entire play based on popeye jacksonwell, i am much more inclined to watch about her life. 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. Carnelle mc wolfe, left is bent on winning the local beauty pageant, and popeye neda. When beth henley is really flying, her comic voice has the crazed yet liberating sound of a rebel yell. Even though the contest has deteriorated into a convergence of yahoos. Apr 16, 2014 a small town beauty pageant sets the scene for the miss firecracker contest, a southern comedy by jacksons own beth henley. Delmount arrives to an empty living room, and popeye meets delmount. This hilarious comedy begins in a small mississippi town of brookhaven a few days before the fourth of july. In delmont, mississippi, a beauty pageant, the miss firecracker contest, is held every fourth of july. This site hosted and maintained by aims computer systems.
The unexpected arrival of her cousin elain, a former miss firecracker winner, who has. Catherine dybiec holm, critical essay on the miss firecracker contest, in drama for students, thomson gale, 2005. Sep 20, 2018 in essences, the miss firecracker contest is an amusing satirical take on the politics of beauty contests in general. Assisting her in this venture is popeye jackson, an extremely odd and. The miss firecracker contest is set in brookhaven, mississippi during the midst of. Little angel safety kids songs with nursery rhymes duration.
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. Although the plot felt drawn out at times, i was pleased with the overall performances of the actors featured in the css production of the miss firecracker contest. But, aided by a touchingly awkward seamstress named popeye who is. The set was very true to the 80s, a living room donned with warm colors, printed wallpaper and sofa, and also a record player. The miss firecracker contest pops with charm orange. The miss firecracker contest the column online by john garcia. The play is set in the small southern town of brookhaven, mississippi, and tells an. The miss firecracker contest is a southern literature play written by beth henley. A small town beauty pageant sets the scene for the miss firecracker contest, a southern comedy by jacksons own beth henley. In miss firecracker, the playwright beth henley has taken such a contest, the fourth of july pageant in yazoo city, miss.
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