Star Trek: The Next Generation's Patrick Stewart ("Jean-Luc Picard") underwent a successful angioplasty procedure last week to widen an artery and is recovering at his home. The procedure involves the use of catheters to position a small balloon in a narrowed artery. When the balloon is inflated, the widened artery allows blood to flow more freely.

Stewart, 64, underwent the procedure after an annual physical detected a blood flow problem and doctors recommended the "pre-emptive angioplasty" to head off any future ailments. Stewart expects to return to work on the upcoming film "The Game of Their Lives" which also stars Wes Bentley and John Rhys-Davies (Leonardo Da Vinci on Star Trek: Voyager), as well as Stewart's voiceover work on the Fox TV animated series American Dad.

Auberjonois Notes

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Rene Auberjonois ("Odo") will be appearing in a recurring role on the new ABC David E. Kelley series Boston Legal, which also stars William Shatner ("James T. Kirk"). The DS9 actor will play a character named Paul Lewiston, head of another law firm.

On a sadder note, Auberjonois' father, Fernand, passed away in late August in Ireland, just weeks shy of his 94th birthday. The elder Auberjonois was a respected journalist with a distinguished career covering world events for the Toledo Blade, a newspaper based in Toledo, Ohio. A multiple Pulitzer Prize nominee, Auberjonois' journalistic travels took him all over the world and into the company of statesmen and royalty. Rene has commented that Odo's formal demeanor was partially modeled after his father.

Mulgrew Postponed in Seattle

Fans in Seattle will have to wait for "Tea" time with Kate Mulgrew ("Kathryn Janeway"). The run of her one-woman show "Tea at Five" scheduled for the Seattle Repertory Theatre, scheduled for September 10-18, has been postponed due to a family emergency, according to the Seattle Rep site.

The play, written by Matthew Lombardo and directed by John Tillinger, features Mulgrew playing screen legend Katherine Hepburn, and has played all over the country, including Connecticut, New York and Florida. Mulgrew is a veteran of the Seattle Rep stage, having spent time on the boards there prior to her time on Voyager. Future plans for the rescheduled run are on hold for the moment, but ticket holders will be notified by the Seattle Rep as soon as more information is available. For more, visit this link.