An Adventure in Pageantry:
Diary of a first time live pageant contestant.
This series of articles was originally written for the now-defunct online pageant magazine, "Crown Jewels", a publication that will be missed greatly.
July 2001
It is July, and like many women across the country, I am getting ready to bare far more than I'm used to in a bathing suit.  Unlike most of them, however, I have an extra month to work out, and when it's time for me to don my swimsuit, instead of strolling around the pool deck in my flipflops, I'll be walking across a stage in a pair of heels.
This fall, I will be entering my first live pageant.  To say that I am nervous would be an understatement.  After all, I am not the most obvious "pageant person".  My morning routine consists of waking up, showering, getting dressed, and pulling my hair into a pony tail.  No makeup, no blowdrying, and hair spray?  Ha!  Add to that the fact that I've never had much exposure to pageants, other than watching the big national pageants on television, and you've got one unlikely contestant!
After some internet-aided research, I've decided to enter a local preliminary to  Miss Alaska, which is itself a preliminary to Miss America.  The Miss America program appeals to me because it seems to address the whole person... that, and the fact that every local titleholder in Alaska receives a one year tuition scholarship to the University of Alaska.  What can I say... I'm a poor college student.
In the Miss America Organization (MAO) system, there are four categories: evening wear, "physical fitness" (better known as "swimwear"), talent, and interview.
Evening wear - I am not especially concerned about evening wear right now.  I will be going on vacation next week, and won't have much chance to go shopping until I return some time in August.  That will give me a little over two months to find a gown that suits me, so I should be all right.
Swimwear - Oh boy... this is the one that is really making me nervous.  I am not possessed of the usual pageant silhouette.  I am a rather heavy young lady, and not particularly in shape right now, either.  I know I won't be perfectly svelte by October, but I also know that I will feel much more confident on stage if I can tone up and lose a few pounds by the program date.  Since I will be on the road in a motorhome for the next month or so, my favorite form of exercise - doing an aerobic exercise video - is pretty much out of the question.  Instead, I am planning on lots of walks around campgrounds, as well as stretching and toning exercises that I can do in a small space.  Next on the "get healthy" list: a healthy diet.  I think that I have found a program that will work for me, and I have checked with my doctor to make sure that it is a safe and healthy plan.  Now I just have to stick to it!  Eek...
Talent - To sing, to dance, or to act... that is the question.  Having made up this short (and rather non-specific) list of my performing talents, it didn't take me long to cross out "singing".  As much as I enjoy it, I'm not yet very comfortable singing for an audience.  This leaves dancing and acting.  I love both, and feel quite confident with my ability to perform either one for an audience.  I've been emailing with a few people who have had experience in the MAO system, and most of them have advised me to go with dancing.  When I spoke with a pageant friend who knows me "in real life", however, she told me that she thought that a monologue would be a better idea for me.  I haven't made my final decision yet, but I think I'm leaning towards doing a monologue.... we'll see.
Interview - This is the category that inspired me to enter a live pageant in the first place.  While conducting interviews as a judge at a recent state pageant, I was impressed with how easily many of the young ladies handled the conversation.  I am an actress, so one would think that speaking is no problem for me.  The truth, however, is quite the opposite - if I don't have a script to follow, I tend to get very nervous and stumble over my words, as well as jumbling up the subject matter quite a bit.  It occurred to me that evening as I headed home that it was quite possible that preparing for the pageant had helped these girls to be able to communicate one-on-one very well, and that I might benefit from something similar.  So, my next question was - how do I prepare?  Well, one suggestion was to have a friend act as an interviewer so that I could practice without any pressure.  Another was to read the newspaper every day, in order to be more informed about state and national current events.
I have a little more than four months to prepare for my first pageant.  I am nervous, but grateful for all the help and advice I've gotten so far.  Hopefully, I will be able to stick to my plans and be well prepared for the pageant.  See you next month!