Theater
Beth Henley is a Mississippi native who hit the jackpot in 1981 as the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Crimes of the Heart. Though Henley continues to produce plays regularly, she’s so far failed to equal the success of Crimes and other such early works as 1984’s The Miss Firecracker Contest, which concludes its run this weekend in Franklin courtesy of Boiler Room Theatre.
Miss Firecracker isn’t as weirdly dark as Crimes, but it displays Henley’s typically affectionate approach to Southern small-town life and its brand of dysfunction. The author has a gift for portraying vivid characters without shamelessly exploiting the usual stereotypes often found in lightweight regional fare. Here, as in any good comedy writing, character drives the humor, and, fortunately, director Jamey Green has assembled a superb cast that delivers solid laughs and sincere warmth throughout.
Leading one of BRT’s stronger non-musical ensembles is talented, youthful Laura Marsh, who made waves earlier this season in GroundWorks Theatre’s serious-minded Closer. In Firecracker, she proves she can handle comedy with equal style. Marsh plays Carnelle Scott, an energetic Mississippi miss who gets it in her head that winning the local Fourth of July beauty pageant will pave the way for her to “go to Memphis and be a model.” Carnelle’s reputation as the local “hot tamale” threatens to prejudice the judges against her, but that doesn’t stop her from earnestly rehearsing her big routine: a tap dance to the “Star Spangled Banner.” Marsh is cast splendidly, and she works her charm and wide-eyed enthusiasm to consistently entertaining effect.
The Miss Firecracker Contest
Presented by Boiler Room Theatre Through June 2 at The Factory at FranklinThe impending contest and its results eventually play out to a chaotic but sweet conclusion. But the plot takes a backseat in Henley’s script, which places primary emphasis on the personalities of Carnelle’s friends and family, a collection of lovable misfits who assist her efforts in inept and hence very humorous fashion.
There’s myopic girlfriend Popeye Jackson—called in to help with the wardrobe—played with a dizzy yet wholly endearing simplemindedness by Erin Burns. Cousin Elain, who has thoughts of leaving her husband and children, is portrayed with a nice mix of credible family feeling and distracted self-absorption by Jessica Heim. Elain’s brother Delmount, an obsessive and bipolar fellow haunted by bad dreams, is played with delightful incongruity by Douglas Goodman. Marsh’s considerable contribution notwithstanding, Goodman ultimately gives the performance of the evening, blending manic edginess with heart-of-gold likability.
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The supporting players are first-rate as well, including the always reliable Phil Perry-Dixon as the bedraggled, whiskey-sipping and hopelessly optimistic Mac Sam. (An older fellow, Mac suffers from various ailments, including the clap—acquired, apparently, from Carnelle.) Finally, there’s Nancy Whitehead, who kicks in a strong, if overly exaggerated, turn as beauty pageant coordinator Tessy Mahoney, a nerd of a gal whose homeliness is matched by the level of her obnoxious intrusions into every one of her scenes.
Corbin Green and Anthony Popolo’s sets and lights effectively underscore the ambience of rural Mississippi. Melissa Cannon’s costumes, meanwhile, include a whimsical design for Marsh’s patriotic, red-silver-and-blue tap-dancing getup.
Green’s direction is noticeably smart and evenhanded. The action moves along realistically, with controlled pacing, yet the actors are still allowed the necessary leeway—and time—to indulge whatever it takes to develop their characters’ colorful eccentricities. Even when Miss Firecracker isn’t laugh-out-loud funny—and there’s a brief stretch late in Act 2 when the story slows and threatens to stifle the momentum—it’s still very good theater, mainly because the script is lovingly crafted and the cast is in tune with its lively spirit.