From the author of crimes of the heart, the miss firecracker contest is a southern gothic comedy for which henley is best known. Carnelle s first cousin, elain is a local beauty who won the miss firecracker contest when she was 17. A story of a fresh start and unexpected love, the miss firecracker contest is about carnelle, an irrepressible and promiscuous character, who believes the local beauty contest is her ticket to. Few think she can win, even her closest friends and relatives e. Firecracker, a beth henley comedy the new york times. 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. Folks of firecrackerjust arent quite human orlando. Catherine dybiec holm, critical essay on the miss firecracker contest, in drama for students, thomson gale, 2005. Miss firecracker contest a story of unexpected love sun. Miss firecracker is a 1989 american comedy film directed by thomas schlamme. Miss firecracker contest ending theatre season at ecu. Miss firecracker this is a delightful over the top crazy characterization of a small town beauty pageant held in yazoo city. Pocket community theatre presents the miss firecracker. Premade quizzes on the miss firecracker contest eight week quiz a that include 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions for a quick inclass quiz.
All this is leading up to the climactic fourth of july miss. Carnelle scott, who is 24 and is entering the contest. Miss firecracker contest a story of unexpected love. Miss firecracker 1989 stream and watch online moviefone. Miss firecracker sparkles at new village arts times of. Miss firecracker contest ending theatre season at ecu april 7, 2008 her reputation is just a bit tarnished shes called miss hot tamale, after all but carnelle scott has a plan to win the admiration of the townsfolk in her small mississippi community. Apr 25, 2018 the miss firecracker contest is a 1984 play by pulitzer prize winner beth henley crimes of the heart. Carnelle scott holly hunter is a restless mississippi girl looking for a life change. Carnelle scott, a hopeful victor in this years competition, is as feverish as the. Carnelle scott known locally as miss hot tamale is rehearsing furiously for the miss firecracker contest hoping that a victory will salvage her tarnished reputation and allow her to leave. Jul 20, 2019 the miss firecracker contest, along with other beth henley plays, is characterized as a southern gothic.
Poignant, daft miss firecracker the new york times. 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. She plans to overcome her past by winning the local fourth of july beauty pageant in the miss firecracker contest, the final east central university theatre production of the academic year. It stars holly hunter, mary steenburgen, tim robbins, alfre woodard, scott glenn. The miss firecracker contest is a twoact play that was originally. Character description, analysis and casting breakdown for carnelle scott from the miss firecracker contest. The miss firecracker contest little theatre of virginia.
The ensemble cast seem oddly matched and mismatched at the same time, which is underlying theme of the stage play. Carnelle enters the miss firecracker beauty pageant which her hometown of yazoo city. Miss firecracker not a dud, but it misses key sad notes. But shes determined to turn it around by becoming this years miss firecracker. The miss firecracker contest is a 1984 play by pulitzer prize winner beth henley crimes of the heart. Jun 29, 2015 the miss firecracker contest by beth henley opened this weekend at the laurel mill playhouse, and is directed by patrick pase and produced by julie rogers. Its heroine, carnelle, is an irrepressible young woman who thinks that winning the local beauty contest will restore her soiled. May 28, 1984 miss hunter plays carnelle scott of brookhaven, miss. Carnelle holly hunter enters the miss firecracker beauty pageant which her hometown of yazoo city, mississippi, stages every fourth of july, hoping to emulate.
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. Mar 14, 2017 the miss firecracker contest has a lot of fun playing off the conventions of southern gothic literature typified by writers like tennessee williams and carson mccullers. For the talent portion of the miss firecracker contest, carnelle scott is going to tapdance to the starspangled banner. It is essentially just a beauty pageant on july 4th of every year. 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. When you are ready to print, please highlight, copy, and paste into a document. This hilarious comedy begins in a small mississippi town of brookhaven a few days before the fourth of july. 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.
The miss firecracker contest uses the themes of outer and inner appearances to guide these characters journeys toward a realization of true beauty. Her reputation is just a bit tarnished shes called miss hot tamale, after all but carnelle scott has a plan to win the admiration of the townsfolk in her small mississippi community. Mar 26, 2017 the miss firecracker contest written by beth henley. Carnelle scott from the miss firecracker contest summary.
The town of yazoo city, mississippi, is agog over the annual fourth of july miss firecracker contest, and no one is more obsessed with winning this honor than carnelle scott holly hunter. Kim lazarus monologue from the miss firecracker contest winner at north perth festival duration. Nov 27, 2012 the miss firecracker contest was first presented to new york audiences in 1984 at the manhattan theater club, starring holly hunter as carnelle scott. 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.
Beth henleys sly comedy about a gawky gal trying to shed her reputation as the town tramp by winning the miss firecracker contest bursts with eccentric characters that define southern gothic. Carnelle scott is a contestant in this years pagent, in which. The miss firecracker contest wins with laughs and drama. Carnelle scott known locally as miss hot tamale is rehearsing furiously for the miss firecracker contesthoping that a victory will salvage her tarnished. The miss firecracker contest by beth henley opened this weekend at the laurel mill playhouse, and is directed by patrick pase and produced by julie rogers. If you just hit print every single monologue will print humorous all kiding aside bumsevelyn bumsmary bus stop coupla chicks. The miss firecracker contest is set in brookhaven, mississippi during the midst of carnelle s 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. Few think she can win, but carnelle sees a win as a ticket to escape her small town. Life has thrown this lady some curveballs, and she hasnt always responded with the best game plan. In comes carnelle s other cousin, elain, a former miss firecracker with memories of riding on a float and wearing a crown on her head. Since then, she has moved away and married a wealthy man only to find herself dissatisfied and unfulfilled. 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.
Jul 28, 2011 academy award nominee holly hunter is sensational as carnelle scott, a catfishfactory worker from mississippi whose rep as the town slut cant stop her dream to win the local miss firecracker. The place is the small mississippi town of brookhaven, the time a few days before the fourth of july. Why representative louis pooleys going to be here this very year to put the crown on the winners head. Samantha ginn as carnelle in the miss firecracker contest at new village arts. The miss firecracker contest fort hays state university. The miss firecracker contest at laurel mill playhouse. 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. Carnelle scott holly hunter is a catfishfactory worker in yazoo city, mississippi, who is known as the town slut. 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 contest by beth henley directed by jeremy thomas poulsen carnelle scotts only dream is to win the local beauty. Carnelle wants nothing more than to be crowned miss firecracker in the beauty pageant at the towns annual independence day celebration. Carnelle scott, a selfconscious orphan raised by her aunt, desperately wants this july 4th to bring her a chance at a new life as this years crowned miss firecracker, if only. Rachelgreenmonologuemiss firecracker contest youtube.
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. The miss firecracker contest quiz from eight week quiz a. Carnelle scott, a selfconscious orphan raised by her aunt, desperately wants this july 4th to bring her a chance at a new life as this years crowned miss firecracker, if only to. It tells the story of carnelle scott, a young woman in a small mississippi town trying to save her tarnished reputation and leave town in a blaze of glory by winning the miss firecracker contest. The miss firecracker contest plot summary, character breakdowns, context and. The film, set in yazoo city, mississippi, was written by pulitzer prizewinning playwright beth henley and. Further casting, dates and theatre are still to be announced for the production. 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.
Footlight players provide bit of sparkle to the miss. The miss firecracker contest continues through october 14th at tipping point theatre in northville. Both charming and irreverent, the miss firecracker contest is a wistful take on southern beauty culture and the reallife facades it so eloquently symbolizes. The miss firecracker contest is set in brookhaven, mississippi during the midst of carnelles attempt to salvage her tarnished reputation as miss hot tamale. Contest is never meanspirited just a story about always being on the outside looking in, and to then one day, be loved. 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. Since then, she has moved away and married a wealthy man only to. Academy award nominee holly hunter is sensational as carnelle scott, a catfishfactory worker from mississippi whose rep as the town slut cant stop her dream to win the local miss firecracker.
A fading beauty, elain has abandoned her rich husband and two. Jul 24, 1988 in comes carnelle s other cousin, elain, a former miss firecracker with memories of riding on a float and wearing a crown on her head. Miss firecracker holly hunter reprises her stage role in beth henleys play the miss firecracker contest as carnelle, a former goodtime girl whose dream is to win the local miss firecracker. If you just hit print every single monologue will print humorous all kiding aside bumsevelyn bums. Miss firecracker contest theatre department past productions. Carnelle center practices her routine for the talent portion of the contest in beth henleys the miss firecracker contest playing on the alleys large stage sthrough february 16. The miss firecracker contest at laurel mill playhouse dc. It follows carnelle scott, who is 24 and is entering the contest. This is strictly confidential, but the word is out that the only real contenders for the miss firecracker crown are you and car. Maybe i should go on and get your measurements off you right now if ya dont mind. In delmont, mississippi, a beauty pageant, the miss firecracker contest, is held every fourth of july. Folks of firecrackerjust arent quite human orlando sentinel. Carnelles first cousin, elain is a local beauty who won the miss firecracker contest when she was 17.
Hunter went on to reprise the role in the 1989 feature film miss firecracker. It stars holly hunter, mary steenburgen, tim robbins, alfre woodard, and scott glenn. The unexpected arrival of her cousin, elaine, a former miss firecracker winner, complicates matters a bit, as does the. Carnelle scott known locally as miss hot tamale is rehearsing furiously for the miss firecracker contest hoping that a victory will salvage her tarnished reputation and allow her to leave town in a blaze of glory. Apr 16, 2014 a small town beauty pageant sets the scene for the miss firecracker contest, a southern comedy by jacksons own beth henley. Carnelle s lines in the first scene of the miss firecracker contest by beth henley.
We first meet kryssy beckers enthusiastic carnelle practicing her patriotic baton routine for the upcoming competition in a small mississippi town. To redeem her sordid past, she becomes obsessed with winning the local annual miss firecracker beauty pageant and hopes by winning she will earn a ticket out of the deadend town. The miss firecracker contest ends with carnelle, popeye, and delmount watching the independence day pyrotechnics from a perch atop the tent where the contest was held. A small town beauty pageant sets the scene for the miss firecracker contest, a southern comedy by jacksons own beth henley. The miss firecracker contest has a lot of fun playing off the conventions of southern gothic literature typified by writers like tennessee williams and carson mccullers. The miss firecracker contest written by beth henley. The miss firecracker contest by beth henley is a truly excellent play. This is not new material, but henley replaces some of the painful sincerity with. The miss firecracker contest south camden theatre company. Carnelle wants nothing more than to be crowned miss firecracker in the beauty pageant. But carnelle, who has dyed her hair flamered for the occasion, would. Jan 20, 2014 kim lazarus monologue from the miss firecracker contest winner at north perth festival duration. The miss firecracker contest little theatre of virginia beach. The unexpected arrival of her cousin elain, a former miss firecracker winner, who has walked out on her rich but boring.
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