Act 1, Scene 1 Summary

The Miss Firecracker Contest is a two-act play based in a small town in Mississippi in the mid 1980's during which the protagonist Carnelle hopes that winning a local beauty contest will provide the self-esteem and validation destroyed by her dysfunctional family and her own poor choices. As the play begins it is the beginning of July in Brookhaven, Mississippi and 24-year-old Carnelle Scott practices her patriotic-themed baton twirling routine in anticipation of becoming a contestant in the local Miss Firecracker beauty contest. Carnelle has tried to enter the contest in previous years but her reputation around town for being a little bit promiscuous has always blocked her candidacy.

Carnelle waits for her friend, Popeye Jackson to arrive to take Carnelle's measurements to make a pageant costume. Carnelle wears a leotard and has even dyed her hair bright red and makes...