Prom nights are fun...but forget multi-tasking
Awards evenings are like weddings: you spend months hunting for the right dress, hours in the makeup chair, and the build up to the event seems to last forever. The day of is a scramble. Then all of a sudden, it's over.
My first time at an awards show was in Bogota around 1998. TVyNovelas, a Colombian entertainment magazine, was hosting the event. The telenovela I was taping at the time was up for an award and i was invited so I thought, why not? There was just one slight problem: a play I was in finished at 6pm and the awards show started at 8pm. Normally that wouldn't have been a problem except that for each performance I had to get covered in a light shade of yellow paint. I wouldn't have time to go home. I did some research and found a beauty salon near the event. That evening I took a shower at the theatre, got to the salon and had my hair done. I did my own makeup and I was ready an hour and half later, wearing high heels form fitting black dress. I was very pleased with myself for doing two things in one evening until the mirror in the restroom afterwards told a different story; I looked like I had jaundice.
in 2008, I was nominated for a Carbonell award for the one woman show, '9 Parts of Desire' where I played nine different characters in the space of 90 minutes. It was an invigorating play and I loved performing it. I asked Ellis Tillman, a great costume designer to help me select a dress. We found a fabulous white and black haltered gown. This time I had a stylist do my makeup and hair. My mother and sister came to South Florida for the event and my acting buddy Doug Williford drove us. I felt like a princess going to the ball until someone else's name was called for best actress. A few years later the same thing happened after being nominated as part of an ensemble. I decided to scrap 'prom nights.'
" Be like a postage stamp, stick to one thing until you get there." ― Josh Billings
Headed to the Annie Awards
And then the Annie awards happened. I was invited to be a judge to nominate five actors for the voice acting categories in film as well as tv/media. The Annies are part of ASIFA, which awards prizes to all categories of animation: character design, special effects, editing, directing, etc. The endgame is going to the actual ceremony. I initially said no but then changed my mind. I could enjoy myself without any pressure.
Which is exactly what I did. This past Saturday's event was at UCLA. I got my hair and makeup in Westwood and met up with my voice acting buddy, Rebecca Davis. We did a 'step and repeat' while walking the red carpet, something I had not done in my two previous awards sojourns. Wearing flats is key, especially if you're standing in grass before going into the theatre. The ceremony itself was long but there were some wonderful speeches and everyone seemed to be in a positive, festive mood. I was able to watch a lot of the animated projects this year and they are truly astounding in their artistry. It was fun to sit with the other judges on the nominating committee for voice acting and compare notes.
Saturday morning, I seriously considered going for a swim before the salon. There's an olympic size pool just five minutes away. I figured I could do some laps and get in an arm workout. Then my jaundice face flashed in front of my eyes. "Why are you multitasking? Just leave it alone, Pilar."
