The Miss Firecracker Contest
Ah, Beth Henley! Few American playwrights make the clash of hope vs. reality so funny, strange, and moving. Carnelle Scott has a "reputation," but she's reformed. To prove it, she's entering THE beauty pageant of Southern Mississippi. When -- okay, if -- she wins Miss Firecracker, she'll leave town in a "blaze of crimson glory." In New Village Arts' stellar production, Samantha Ginn blazes as Carnelle in a moment-by-moment fluctuation of feelings, all heightened with hope. The cast is uniformly solid -- and wacko (especially Justin Lang's hyperactive Delmount, and Melissa Coleman-Reed's excellent Popeye Jackson, who follows her convictions with quiet courage). Under Daren Scott's sure direction, the actors frolic before a stage-wide American flag, and Robert May's period music -- mid-1980s -- includes the Tube's "She's a Beauty," which nicely underscores the play's theme.
Critic's Pick.
When
Ongoing until Sunday, June 29, 2014
Hours
| Sundays, 2pm |
| Thursdays, 8pm |
| Fridays, 8pm |
| Saturdays, 3pm & 8pm |