The University of Mary Washington Department of Theatre & Dance kicked off its 2013-14 season with “The Miss Firecracker Contest.” Performances were Sept. 19-21 and Sept. 26-28 at 8 p.m., and Sept. 22, 28 and 29 at 2 p.m. in Klein Theatre. Tickets were $12 for general admission and $10 for students, senior citizens and military.
“The Miss Firecracker Contest” takes place in Mississippi where Carnelle Scott, known locally as “Miss Hot Tamale,” has entered herself into a local beauty pageant in hopes of salvaging her reputation. Complications arise when her cousin, Elain, who has previously won the title, comes back into the picture. While strategizing their win, Carnelle and her friends overcome their tainted pasts and learn to live for the future.
“The Miss Firecracker Contest” is a southern comedy by American playwright and screenwriter, Beth Henley. The comedy premiered in 1980 at the Victory Theater in Los Angeles and was adapted into the film “Miss Firecracker” starting Holly Hunter in 1989. Henley is currently a distinguished professor of theatre arts at Loyola Marymount University in California. She has received the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, among other awards.
“The Miss Firecracker Contest” is directed by Cate Brewer, lecturer in the Department of Theatre & Dance. Scenic design is by David Hunt, Jr., associate professor of theatre, costume design is by Kevin McCluskey, associate professor of theatre, and lighting design is by student designer, Christopher Stull. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the Klein Theatre Box Office at (540) 654-1111.
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News release prepared by: Jamie Wilson
