Carnelle never achieved the beauty and social status of elain and made up for it by sleeping with most of the young men in town earning herself the dubious title of miss hot tamale. 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. In miss firecracker, the playwright beth henley has taken such a contest, the fourth of july pageant in yazoo city, miss. Carnelle s first cousin, elain is a local beauty who won the miss firecracker contest when she was 17. And while the miss firecracker contest is wonderfully funny in the way. Miss firecracker contest opens at riverside news goerie. Elain is carnelles cousin, and she is everything that carnelle is not. The miss firecracker contest lone star college system. Soon to arrive on the scene are delmount williams and elain rutledge, carnelles first cousins, raised alongside her by the aunt who took carnelle in as an older. Kim lazarus monologue from the miss firecracker contest winner at north perth festival duration.
Jan 20, 2014 kim lazarus monologue from the miss firecracker contest winner at north perth festival duration. Her preparations, however, are interrupted by the unexpected arrival of her cousin elain, a former miss firecracker winner, who recently walked out on her husband and two children. Cast of miss firecracker contest ready for curtain drop. Carnelle isnt happy with her life, so in order to improve herself she enters a local beauty contest.
The miss firecracker contest, along with other beth henley plays. 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 fourth of july float crowned in glory. Miss firecracker is a 1989 american comedy film directed by thomas schlamme. Since then, she has moved away and married a wealthy man only to. Miss firecracker contest a story of unexpected love. The cabaret theatre will be showing its second production of the 20172018 school year, miss firecracker contest, thursday, nov. May 29, 2014 the riverside inn is ushering in the summer season with beth henleys the miss firecracker contest, a play in the southern literature genre focusing on the residents of brookhaven, miss.
Catherine dybiec holm, critical essay on the miss firecracker contest, in drama for students, thomson gale, 2005. 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. The miss firecracker contest the column online by john garcia. Stilson costume designer marissa mcwilliams scenery designer jeffrey m. For the most current news and information about henry ford college, please visit hfcc. Performed at bergen county academies june 10th, 2011. Miss firecracker contest a story of unexpected love sun. 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. 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 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.
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. The miss firecracker contest by beth henley is a truly excellent play. Carnelle scott holly hunter is bestknown in her hometown of yazoo city, ms, for her unrepentant promiscuity. 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. Carnelle scott of brookhaven, mississippi, wants nothing more than to be crowned miss firecracker in the beauty pageant at the towns annual independence day celebration.
Rachelgreenmonologuemiss firecracker contest youtube. This article is more than one year old and is part of the henry ford college news archive. Her confidence and elegance conceal a terrible secret. The miss firecracker contest raleigh little theatre. Jul 20, 2019 the miss firecracker contest, along with other beth henley plays, is characterized as a southern gothic. 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. Stein as carnelle scott, tori sicklick as popeye jackson in a scene from the miss firecracker contest, written by beth henley. Character description, analysis and casting breakdown for elain rutledge from the miss firecracker contest. The place is the small mississippi town of brookhaven, the time a few days before the fourth of july. Carnelle is trying to get into the miss firecracker contest as she. 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.
The miss firecracker contest by beth henley opens friday at the. Character descriptions carnelle scott the plays central character, carnelle is a vulnerable and selfconscious young woman. With holly hunter, mary steenburgen, tim robbins, alfre woodard. Holly hunter plays a mississippi girl whose sole reason for being is to enter. Carnelle hopes winning the title of miss firecracker will redeem her sullied reputation. 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. Carnelle scott 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.
It is essentially just a beauty pageant on july 4th of every year. Carnelle scott has lived in the same house since she moved to yazoo city. Carnelle scott, 24, the beauty contestant popeye jackson, 23, carnelles seamstress elain rutledge, 32, carnelles first cousin. Carnelle remembers the sight of her cousin riding atop a fourth of july float crowned in. The play is set in the small mississippi town of brookhaven, the time a few days before the fourth of july. 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 uses the themes of outer and inner appearances to guide these characters journeys toward a realization of true beauty. Shes played everyone from janet weiss in the rocky horror show to the bumbling, buxom brooke in noises off and wouldbe beauty queen carnelle scott in the miss firecracker contest. The miss firecracker contest 1984 offbroadway tickets. Characters, carnelle scott popeye jackson elain rutledge delmount williams mac sam tessy mahoney. 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.
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 directed by zach thomas wood for additional information visit. Elain rutledge enjoyed a life of beauty, talent, and adoration. Olivia moyer plays carnelles cousin, elaine rutledge. Josh rittberg arts and culture editor beth henleys the miss firecracker contest, which plays at the rafters theatre in dutcher hall from february 22 through march 3, tells the story of a girl in the small mississippi town of brookhaven named carnelle scott. It stars holly hunter, mary steenburgen, tim robbins, alfre woodard, and scott glenn. Miss firecracker contest ending theatre season at ecu. 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. 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.
This beth henley piece is set in brookhaven, mississippi, and follows the adventures and miscues of main character, carnelle scott, as she attempts to change her reputation and become more like her former miss firecracker aunt, elain. Carnelle scott is bestknown in her hometown of yazoo city, ms, for her unrepentant promiscuity. An orphan taken in by her genteel relatives, she idolizes her older cousin, elain rutledge, a former fourth of july miss. From pulitzer prize winner beth henley crimes of the heart, this dark southern comedy tells the story of a small town beauty queen trying to save her tarnished reputation and leave town in a blaze of glory by winning the miss firecracker contest. Since then, she has moved away and married a wealthy man only to find herself dissatisfied and unfulfilled. As a former miss firecracker winner, carnelle worships the ground she walks on. Elain rutledge from the miss firecracker contest summary. Johnson as carnelles elegantly tipsy cousin, elain rutledge. The miss firecracker contest southeast missouri state. Miss firecracker is the streamlined title of the film version of beth henleys play the miss firecracker contest.
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. 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. Moyer says that although elaine is very much a drama queen, there are moments where. Lone star college was founded in 1973 and offers associate degrees, workforce certificates and transfer credits. A small town beauty pageant sets the scene for the miss firecracker contest, a southern comedy by jacksons own beth henley. Carnelle scott, who is 24 and is entering the contest. 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.
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