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 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. She enlists the help of a seamstress alfre woodard to outfit her for the. Audition for the miss firecracker contest at laurel mill. Popeye alfre woodard the dressmaker sews carnelles red spangled. With holly hunter, mary steenburgen, tim robbins, alfre woodard. 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. Theatre arlingtons production of the miss firecracker contest was a pleasant way to start my weekend as i attended opening night this past friday.
Tipping point theatres miss firecracker contest kicks off. Watch miss firecracker online stream full movie directv. Monologues for women, but a the borders here doesnt have it and bmy mom wont let me buy it online with her credit card. Kind, generous, and a little bit naive, she hopes to wipe away her scandalous past in brookhaven by winning the miss firecracker contest and leaving town in a blaze of glory. Nov 27, 2012 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. Miss firecracker 1989 movie clip funny looking creatures. Henleys script seems to assume that these eccentrics are. When even the miss america pageant is taking a long, hard look at itself and. Firecracker, a beth henley comedy the new york times.
The miss firecracker contest auditions laurel mill playhouse in laurel 0503. 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. Instead, the film, written by beth henley from her play the miss firecracker contest, is a superficial and sporadically witty piece aimed at such easy targets as family squabbles, smalltown. I love smaller ensemble shows because it gives you a better chance to get to know your cast and popeye was a. The miss firecracker contest uses the themes of outer and inner appearances to guide these characters journeys toward a realization of true beauty.
Its heroine, carnelle, is an irrepressible young woman who thinks that winning the local beauty contest will restore her soiled. Popeye is the seamstress who makes carnelles costume. 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. Carnelle janine oneill, known locally as miss hot tamale, wants to leave town. Miss firecracker not a dud, but it misses key sad notes. 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. This is strictly confidential, but the word is out that the only real contenders for the miss firecracker crown are you and caroline jeffers. Steppenwolf does not offer advisories about subject matter, as sensitivities vary from person to person. Director thomas schlamme begins the story as credits roll, holly hunter as title character carnelle with gnarly fish processing on location, yazoo city, ms, then meeting pageant staff ann wedgworth and trey wilson, in miss firecracker, 1989, from beth henley s play and. Miss firecracker 1989 movie clip funny looking creatures airing. Popeye jacksons monologue from the miss firecracker contest. Her nickname is the result of a childhood prank gone wrong. Miss firecracker to open on broadway the new york times. It stars holly hunter, mary steenburgen, tim robbins, alfre woodard, and scott glenn.
Winkler 15, left, as popeye jackson in our fall 20 production of the miss. Miss firecracker contest shows at new stage theatre april 1527. She is attempting to redeem her reputation by entering and winning the miss firecracker contest. The miss firecracker contest is a twoact play based in a small town in mississippi in the mid 1980s during which the protagonist carnelle hopes that winning a local beauty contest will provide the selfesteem and validation destroyed by her dysfunctional family and her own poor choices. The tale of carnelle scott, a young woman with bright red hair, who dreams of escaping her humdrum exis tence in rural mississippi. Popeyes going to be using this red material to make my costume for the. Popeye jackson from the miss firecracker contest summary. In the process she earned for herself the monicker of miss hot tamale. The miss firecracker contest beth henley the miss firecracker contest by beth henley the play. Why representative louis pooleys going to be here this very year to put the crown on the winners head. It got a production at the manhattan theatre club offbroadway in 1984 directed by stephen tobolowsky, who was henleys romantic partner at the time. Monologues for young women the miss firecracker contest beth henley the miss firecracker contest by beth henley the play. The actress must be willing to dye their hair bright red, not a wig. Oh well, i reckon what it was when i was sewing up there in front at the big store popeye, youre fired.
The miss firecracker contest by wimberley players ctx. Miss firecracker begins and ends with the image of a little girl in a fuzzy hat that. The miss firecracker contest is a southern literature play written by beth henley. The miss firecracker contest by beth henley is new to us, but still goes into the old favorites category. Early 20s, a local seamstress responsible for designing carnelles pageant wear. Join stageagent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. Jan 20, 2014 rachelgreen monologue miss firecracker contest. This is a digitized version of an article from the timess print archive, before the. She longs to receive the respect and admiration that her cousin elain won with the community years ago. 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. She decides to enter a beauty pageant, which her cousin elain mary steenburgen had won years before. 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. She enters the miss firecracker contest, the local 4th of july beauty pageant, and puts her. Twentyfouryearold carnelle is entering brookhavens.
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. The miss firecracker contest 1984 offbroadway tickets. 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. Mar 19, 2014 allison dixon performs a comedic monologue for her senior recital at western carolina university. The miss firecracker contest, a biting comedy built around a smalltown beauty pageant, is the seasonopening production at northvilles tipping point theatre. Carnelle, whos known in town as miss hot tamale because of her lusty ways, has held only one dream in life. Selected monologues from the miss firecracker contest including video examples, context and character information. Brookhaven, mississippi, is the setting for the story of carnelle scott, who dreams of winning the fourth of july pageant so she can shed her hot tamale label and leave town in a crimson blaze of glory. 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 archetypical story of a young woman trying to reinvent herself. As the miss firecracker contest opens, carnelle scott is practicing her talent routine for the upcoming fourth of july beauty pageant in brookhaven, mississippi. Bhs theatre is an award winning high school theatre program located in north richland hills, tx. Carnelle scott holly hunter is a restless mississippi girl looking for a life change.
Maybe i should go on and get your measurements off you right now if ya dont mind. Few think she can win, even her closest friends and relatives e. The place is the small mississippi town of brookhaven, the time a few days before the fourth of july. See more ideas about firecracker, jackson and blue cotton candy. Foster jameys jimmie ray weeks john polk katty kinda lemonade lenny look lucky spot mama manhattan theatre club married midgets miss firecracker contest mississippi morning never night orange outta patricia richardson pixrose popeye popeye prairie dog reed hooker scared scoop shoot someone spin. If you just hit print every single monologue will print humorous all kiding aside bumsevelyn bumsmary bus stop coupla chicks. Samantha ginn as carnelle in the miss firecracker contest at new village arts. It is set in a time before cell phones, bigbox stores, and spanx. It was just a really great experience, i was already friends with emily and katie and kat, and i got to be better friends with stephen and christian. When was the last time you heard of a woman named popeye. 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. The miss firecracker talent contest is brilliantthis film deserves attention. Claire winkler theatre and dance university of mary washington. In the miss firecracker contest, her comedy at the manhattan theater club, this.
For its first show of 2016, unity theatre brings you the comedy, the miss firecracker contest by beth henley. Carnelle is a young woman in the 80s that is known around her small town in missouri as the promiscuous miss hot tamale. The miss firecracker contest south camden theatre company. Miss firecracker 1989 movie clip open, do you believe. Monologue archive the taming of the shrew juliet scribd.
This is not new material, but henley replaces some of the painful sincerity with. And while the miss firecracker contest is wonderfully funny in the. Among the favorable reactions is a 1994 english studies article that praises the miss firecracker contest for the depths in even the most objectionable characters and the enormous toughness in some of lifes apparent losers. Monologue from the miss firecracker pageant by beth henley. This hilarious comedy begins in a small mississippi town of brookhaven a few days before the fourth of july. Mar 14, 2017 the miss firecracker contest, her wily and witty comedy now being revived at south camden theatre company, is no exception. If you have any questions about content, ageappropriateness. A small town beauty pageant sets the scene for the miss firecracker contest, a southern comedy by jacksons own beth henley. Kim lazarus monologue from the miss firecracker contest winner at north perth festival duration. The miss firecracker contest plaza theatre company. Character description, analysis and casting breakdown for popeye jackson from the miss firecracker contest join stageagent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. 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.
Critical reactions to the miss firecracker contest have been mixed. When you are ready to print, please highlight, copy, and paste into a document. The miss firecracker contest is a 1984 play by pulitzer prize winner beth henley crimes of the heart. Miss firecracker is a 1989 american comedy film directed by thomas schlamme. From the author of crimes of the heart, the miss firecracker contest is a southern gothic comedy for which henley is best known. Pulitzer prize winner beth henleys the miss firecracker contest runs through may. 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. 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. Northvilletipping point theatres opening play of its 12th season, the miss firecracker contest by beth henley will run september through october 14. 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. Lucky penny blasts off with the miss firecracker contest. Carnelle scott known locally in the small mississippi town of brookhaven 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.
Despite a lack of support from those close to her, including conniving cousin delmount tim robbins, carnelle remains determined. The miss firecracker contest play monologues stageagent. Foothills community players readies a celebration with. Allison dixon performs a comedic monologue for her senior recital at western carolina university.
The miss firecracker contest raleigh little theatre. Mar 26, 2017 the miss firecracker contest written by beth henley. Mar 18, 2020 the miss firecracker contest by beth henley performances april 21 at 5. The excitement and anticipation of the shows kickoff to a threeweek run was apparent in the audience and on stage during executive producer todd harts introduction. 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. Oct 22, 2011 a gaggle of images that remind me of popeye. Known throughout town as miss hot tamale, shes out to change everyones perception. In miss firecracker, the playwright beth henley has taken such a contest, the fourth of july pageant in yazoo city, miss. Catherine dybiec holm, critical essay on the miss firecracker contest, in drama for students, thomson gale, 2005.
Grosses theater report whats playing around the world update bwws database. 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. Monologue from the miss firecracker pageant by beth henley duration. Dps offers an extensive list of titles that includes many of the most significant plays of the past century. Fireworks on the fourth of july jackson free press. May 28, 1984 when beth henley is really flying, her comic voice has the crazed yet liberating sound of a rebel yell. When beth henley is really flying, her comic voice has the crazed yet liberating sound of a rebel yell. Does anyone have a monologue cut from, the miss firecracker contest, by beth henley i cant figure out how exactly to cut one from the play.
Melissa colemanreeds popeye jackson would steal it. Jul 20, 2019 the miss firecracker contest, along with other beth henley plays, is characterized as a southern gothic. Carnelles lines in the first scene of the miss firecracker contest by beth henley. When her beautiful cousin and estranged older brother return to town, situations become more complicated in. The miss firecracker contest tipping point theatre. The miss firecracker contest, along with other beth henley plays, is characterized as a southern gothic. Miss firecracker more fun bowling naomi living rm missing marisa one sunday.
Miss firecracker contest theatre department past productions. Rachelgreenmonologuemiss firecracker contest youtube. See more ideas about firecracker, brookhaven mississippi and mississippi. Popeye jacksons monologue from the miss firecracker contest including context, text and video example.