By Guest Contributor Amy Ulen
As I left my home in Yelm on the morning of day one, the sky was overcast and the ground wet. My initial thoughts went to the poor people at Seafair; the hydroplane races and torchlight parade wouldn't be much fun if the sky opened up. Yet these thoughts were quickly replaced by the nagging sensation that nature was mocking me... "this isn't Vegas, little Trekker!" Sadly, we weren't leaving for Vegas, and I do admit to being disappointed about that. As we drove up to Bellevue, the weather started to clear and the traffic increased, and my outlook improved. I don't need Vegas! Spiner and Brooks are here this weekend. I hate being hot, so I won't have to endure the scorching heat of summer in Las Vegas. We certainly won't have to fight the crowds. No, this convention may not be as large as Vegas, but that is a good thing!
Saturday – Day One
Upon arriving at the Doubletree, we made our way downstairs to the convention center. Initially, I was disheartened by the lack of attendance, but the looks on the faces of the people who were there showed that these were true fans that were very excited about seeing their favorite Trek celebrities. Our seats were in the front row, so we had a completely unobstructed view of the stage. Unfortunately, the seats were far too close to one another, so the first day was very uncomfortable. We did ask that the seats be spread out the next day and Gary (from Creation) jumped right on it and made the change. Day two was much more enjoyable!
Gary Berman introduced Richard Arnold who worked with Gene Roddenberry for 15 years. During the video tribute to the original series, Richard stopped the tape and shared some of his personal insights about the actors or the specific events surrounding the scenes being viewed.
The convention continued with a music tribute to James Doohan. The audience responded with a long ovation that was obviously filled with a great deal of love! Next there was a trivia competition and costume contest. Meg K., from Bellevue, WA, won for her fantastic Klingon costume made by a friend.
Richard Arnold then gave us a real treat by sharing a slide show he put together to celebrate 40 years as a fan and associate of Star Trek. He began in the middle of the show so he could cover the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine years, but he did include a nice background of how that show came to be after the success of The Next Generation. He included several of his favorite photos and stories, including:
Kristine M. Smith
This was Ms. Smith's (author of "DeForest Kelley: A Harvest of Memories") first convention appearance, and she did a fantastic job. Through her reminiscences about De, we felt closer to the man. She shared stories of how they met and how De helped launch her writing career! Their relationship developed over the years, and by the end of De's life, Kristine became the caretaker for the Kelley's. As she read a vignette from her book, tears welled up in my eyes, and I knew I had to read this incredible tribute. Kristine is the first to point out that her book is not about Star Trek or De's career; it is a book about the man and how he felt about his fans. She wants us to know how important we were to him. "They didn't have kids, so the fans are his legacy." She recommends "From Sawdust to Stardust" by Terry Lee Rioux if you want to read a biography. For more information about her book, visit authorhouse.com.
Avery Brooks
After a music video tribute to DS9 and Avery Brooks ("Captain Sisko"), the actor took the stage. The audience rose to their feet with an appreciative roar, with the exception of one young man in a wheelchair in the front row. Brooks noticed him and immediately stepped off the stage to give him a personal greeting! When he returned to the stage and the audience settled back into their seats, Brooks said in his deep and spiritual voice, "From time to time, I come before you to tell you... I'm still alive." He let us know that he has been doing a lot of music lately and is currently rehearsing "Othello" in Washington DC. He then opened it up for questions.
When asked about relationships with former cast mates, he did admit that although they say they will stay in touch, that rarely happens. The one person from DS9 that he does have a lifelong relationship with is Cirroc Lofton ("Jake Sisko") who is close with his own sons.
On the subject of teaching, Brooks said that he misses teaching because there is absolute freedom in the classroom ... no producers or studios. "Children will always tell you the truth," he said with a pause, "eventually! It is the seeking of truth I'm particularly interested in."
Given more time, Brooks would have liked to explore Benny Russell as "Far Beyond the Stars" was his favorite episode. He discussed the layers of that character dealing with the racism of the '50s while being influenced by great literature. Later in the hour he came back to the topic of language. Brooks reminded us that we gain knowledge from everything around us. "The notion of reading is never going to go away. There is no reason why kids can't quote Chaucer as well as Mos Def. Truth and the beholding of beauty is a clear indication that you are alive!"
Brooks spent much of the hour sharing his philosophies of life and inspiring many in the audience. "I take the journey as it is offered," he said, and he is "thankful and grateful for every day given and must do something today to positively affect life on the planet." That may simply be in "seeking for a way to make someone smile." He certainly accomplished that on this day!
He said that the reason to do Star Trek is so "children can think about themselves in the long thought. [To see] there is a possibility; there is a horizon. Have supreme faith and confidence and do something with your life. Imagination is very important. In the future, we are still here and whole."
Earlier in the conversation, I asked him to describe the difference of working on Shakespeare and he discussed the need for making a connection with the audience — for making discoveries for the very first time. I asked if he would recite something from "Othello" for us, and near the end he performed Othello's final speech in Act V, scene ii. From there he launched into a beautiful ballad. He connected to the audience in a very profound way by giving us the gift of song. He commented earlier that he "mostly wants to be a good human — named Avery." He is very good indeed!
The day rounded out with photo ops and autographs from Mr. Brooks and an auction. That night the Gold Weekend Patrons attended a dessert bar hosted by Richard Arnold. After the desert, I went back to the room and curled up with a good book, a personalized autographed copy of Kristine Smith's Harvest of Memories!
Page 2: Sunday
