The Miss Firecracker Contest

Happy Fourth of July! The burgers are prepped, the brownies are out of the oven, and the Miss Firecracker Contest is about to begin! Carnelle Scott, a self-conscious orphan raised by her aunt, desperately wants this July 4th to bring her a chance at a new life as this year’s crowned Miss Firecracker, if only to remove the stain of her other title, the town’s “Miss Hot Tamale.” With the return of her beautiful cousin, Elain, a former Miss Firecracker herself, and Elain’s brother, the mentally questionable Delmount, the pressure is on. Throw in a few charming, if colorful, locals and you have Beth Henley’s heartwarming tale of not just second chances to love, but second chances to love yourself.

“…Beth Henley possesses a unique talent for combining emotional fragility with robust comedy.” – The Christian Science Monitor

“…Beth Henley, the playwright from Jackson, Miss., whose best work transforms eccentricity into extraordinariness, and punctuates oddball comedy with bursts of all-embracing compassion.” – The New York Times

Show rating: PG