Meet Carnelle Scott.
She’s the conflicted dynamo in Beth Henley’s “Miss Firecracker Contest,” now on stage at the Live Theatre Workshop.
Carnelle, in an attempt to escape a misguided past and her “hot tamale” nickname, enters the contest. It’s an annual July 4 event in the small town of Brookhaven, Mississippi, and one her cousin won years before. She thinks if she can win the title then all will be right with the world.
Zuleyl Castro pulls out all the pathos and humor the role requires. She shimmied into the skin of Carnelle.
In fact, the whole cast of this comedy is a hoot. Emily Fuchs is Popeye, a visibly challenged seamstress who attempts to help Carnelle with her costumes. Fuchs gives a vulnerability and innocence to her character that instantly endears her to the audience.
And you can understand why Carnelle’s cousin Delmount falls for her. Josh Parra’s Delmount is blustering and shy and longs to be a philosopher. He does not seem well equipped for that career, but he carries on.
Rounding out the cast are Robin Bousel, hysterical as Elaine, Carnelle’s cousin — and former Miss Firecracker winner; Owen Saunders, who plays the sleazy carny worker Mac Sam, and Nika Aguilar as Tessy. Aguilar walks on stage and one can’t help but watch her every move. She is a pristine physical comedian and her role as the no-nonsense manager of the contest really played to Aguilar’s strengths.
Michael Martinez’s direction ensured that every piece of humor was squeezed out of the play, and there is an awful lot of humor.
Henley’s play is lighthearted but it has a message: It is more important to love yourself than to win any old stupid contest. And that comes through loud and clear in this production.
“The Miss Firecracker Contest” continues through Sept. 29 at Live Theatre Workshop, 3322 E. Fort Lowell Road. Tickets are $27-$30 at livetheatreworkshop.org or 520-327-4242. The play runs about two hours, with one intermission.
