The Miss Firecracker Contest at Cumberland County Playhouse

The summer air is about to heat up in Brookhaven, a rural town in Mississippi, as residents prepare for their annual Miss Firecracker Contest, held every year on the 4th of July. Carnelle Scott (known locally as “Miss Hot Tamale”) is rehearsing furiously for the pageant – hoping that a victory will salvage her tarnished reputation and allow her to leave town in a blaze of glory. The unexpected arrival of her cousin Elain (a former Miss Firecracker winner) complicates things a bit, as does the repeated threat of Elain’s brother Delmount (recently released from a mental institution), to sell the family homestead. But, aided by a touchingly awkward seamstress named Popeye (who is smitten with Delmount), Carnelle perseveres – leading to an adventure of unparalleled hilarity and compassion as all concerned turn their hopes toward a brighter future!