It's been a whirlwind of a spring for reconstituted itself in early March and turned its focus to staging its final production of the year, the contemporary comedy The Miss Firecracker Contest.
A romantic satire about a Southern woman dreaming of acceptance, celebrity, and even escape via a beauty contest in her too small hometown, The Miss Firecracker Contest was written in 1985 by Pulitzer Prize winner Beth Henley, and later adapted into the 1989 film The Miss Firecracker Contest from Strollers:
Carnelle Scott's only dream is to win the local beauty contest and gain acceptance from her small Southern town. But will tap-dancing, roman candles, and a misbehaving hoop skirt really help her do the trick? One of Beth Henley's most heartwarming and hilarious plays.Local playwright and filmmaker Rob Matsushita has assembled a trailer for The Miss Firecracker Contest.
A long-run Off-Broadway success, this explosively funny play again demonstrates the author's unique gift for finding rich lodes of humor-and simple wisdom-in the zany activities of small-town life.
This is the second trailer that he has made for a show this spring at the Bartell Theatre. In early April, he also created a preview for Compleat Female Stage Beauty, a contemporary comedy about Restoration theater that was staged by Mercury Players Theatre. Hopefully there will be more on the way for upcoming productions slated for this summer and into the fall.
Running two-and-a-half minutes and set to "Papa Gene's Blues by The Monkees, this preview for The Miss Firecracker Contest introduces the characters inhabiting the play and its southern fried setting.
The Miss Firecracker Contest opens on the Drury Stage at the Bartell Theatre on Wednesday, May 14 and runs through Saturday, May 31. Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, along with a 4 p.m. matinee on Saturdays. Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance by calling (608) 661-9696, #2, and cost $15. Reservations are recommended. As this is its final production of the season, the company is Isthmus YouTube group or send a message.