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Fans take a trek After a long absence -- in a galaxy far, far away? -- science fiction conventions have returned to Honolulu. The Creation Convention runs tomorrow and Sunday at the Pacific Beach Hotel.
to reach stars
Convention brings in
stars from several of TV's
best loved sci-fi seriesBy Burl Burlingame
Star-BulletinGuest stars include Tim Russ of "Star Trek: Voyager" and Chase Masterson of "Deep Space Nine" on Saturday, and Meg Foster of "Xena" on Sunday. On both days, guests include Grace Lee Whitney, Barbara Luna, Celeste Yarell, France Nuyen and Victor Lundin from the original "Star Trek" series; Ben Chapman from "Creature From the Black Lagoon"; and Herb Jefferson from "Battlestar Galactica."
But the main attraction at such affairs is tribal -- it's a chance for sci-fi fans to commune with each other and their obsessions. If a sci-fi convention feels like a family reunion, there's a reason for that.
Sci-fi fans also have a close relationship with the stars of their favorite shows. These events break down the traditional "fourth wall" between performers and audiences, making such entertainments a give-and-take process, rather than a case of product delivery.There's a close sense of identification for the fans -- not to mention that the stars are generally hams. You don't hear much applause on a sound stage.
For some, the fan scene has become a kind of extended family. Whitney, who appeared in only 13 episodes of the original 1960s "Star Trek," actually credits the fans with saving her life.
Whitney began attending Trek conventions a couple of decades ago and was ashamed to be a poor role model because of a drinking problem.
"I told the truth about myself, and expected a bad reaction, but the fans have been incredibly proud of me, that I've stayed sober. Their love is so profound. It's so affirming. So I'll go to any lengths to pay them back," Whitney said from her home in California. (She has a son who is an airline pilot in Honolulu.)
"The Longest Trek," her memoir of her space days, is considered by many Trekkers to be the best and most honest -- and harrowing -- reminiscence by a former "Trek" star. In the book's forward, Leonard Nimoy calls her "Amazing Grace."
The book is being optioned as a television movie. "How about Heather Locklear? She'd be good as me, don't you think?," asks Whitney.
Well, yes. Although Whitney only appeared on a few "Trek" episodes, she cut a vivid swath as Yeoman Janice Rand, the blonde-on-blonde aide to Capt. Kirk with towering hair and tiny mini skirts. Her chemistry with star William Shatner was so palpable that it put a real crimp in screenwriters' efforts to make Kirk the galactic Ladies' Man, and was likely the primary reason her character vanished without an explanation.The Rand character remained a fan favorite, and she was brought back in the films.
Whitney is working on a series of girls' romance novels featuring Rand as the heroine.
As for that amazing hairdo, Whitney says it was "basketweaved together out of two real-hair wigs, it weighed a ton and kept listing to the left. And someone stole it! Can you believe that!"
Although Whitney's film career began as far back as "Some Like It Hot" and she's a trained vocalist and dancer, she is forever identified with a few months' work she did more than 40 years ago.
" 'Star Trek' isn't just an entertainment," she said. "It is real stories about the human condition. The show is airing somewhere out there, right at this moment. It has never gone away. It's now going into China, where it's considered new.
"Of course, we didn't know that at the time. We thought we'd be toast in a year. We were amazed that the show lasted three years! Look at us now! Jimmy Doohan just celebrated his 80th birthday and has a new baby. Bill Shatner is going crazy with those great commercials. We'll be around a long time."
"Star Trek" is now an indelible part of American popular mythology, and will be with us a long time, even if this is the last year for a regular series.
The cast of "Star Trek Voyager" is relatively young and includes Tim Russ as the taciturn Vulcan, Tuvok.
Russ watched the original series "on and off" while in school, but wasn't really a dedicated viewer. But as a journeyman actor, he "had worked for the producers of the show two years before auditioning for 'Voyager.'
"I knew I was going to have a chance at reading for the show ahead of time, so I did keep my schedule open for that period of time," said Russ. "I didn't want to be busy doing an episode of 'Baywatch' and miss the opportunity to get on a series that was going to stay.
"I don't worry about being typecast after 'Voyager,' as I am working on other projects of my own. The problem of typecasting is not so prevalent now -- the difficulty is overcoming the 'yesterday's news' syndrome!"
After years on the show and immersing himself in "Trek" folklore, Russ understands what draws such devotion. "Trek has a 30-year history of building a fan base, and that helps. It took many years of syndication to do so," he explained.
"Sci-fi in general attracts a finite but dedicated group of fans to start with, and 'Star Trek' has an even more specific fan base within the genre.
"These fans cling to the philosophy of 'Trek' because 'Trek' offers a world in which people are judged not by what they own, or how they dress, or how they look physically, but instead on their integrity, character and actions."
Creation Convention
Place: Pacific Beach Hotel
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calendars and events.
