2009 Star Trek Convention Breakfast: Voyager Saturday

The Voyager cast arriving at the breakfast function: Robert Picardo, Ethan Phillips and Roxann Dawson

A feature of the Star Trek Las Vegas Convention is to offer the fans a chance to have breakfast with their favourite actors. And so I bought my tickets to attend a breakfast with the Voyager cast on Saturday morning and one with Zachary Quinto, Jacob Kogan and Sabrina Scharf on the Sunday breakfast.

Never having gone to one of these events before I had no idea what to expect. Walking into this big reception room, a dozen white linen draped round tables awaited us. Included of course was a delicious breakfast, and the food was much better than I expected.

Breakfast started at 8h45, and the actors were scheduled to join us at 9h00. So it gave us a good fifteen minutes to eat and be done with it before they showed up. I originally thought that the actors would actually eat with us. But it was certainly better this way.

On the Saturday morning breakfast, three actors from the Voyager cast joined us: Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo and Roxann Dawson. Robert Beltran was originally scheduled to appear at the convention and the breakfast but it seems that a family emergency kept him away.
This is how the thing worked: Each actor spends about 5-7 minutes at one table, chatting up the guests, then leaves for another table when the time is up (a handler follows each of them to keep things running smoothly).

First at our table was Ethan Phillips who was completely charming, jovial and fun. When he learned that I was French-speaking, he quickly proceeded to chat me up a bit in the language of Molière. It was great fun. Roxann Dawson was the next one to join us and I was completely taken aback by how beautiful this woman was. At 50, she doesn’t look a day older than 35. I want to be her desperately. She was funny and friendly to everyone. Last but not the least, came Robert Picardo, who was charming and sweet to everyone, talking about something he holds dear to his heart: the charity auction for Habitat for Humanity that he was holding the following evening.

It was a very pleasing experience and was, as in everything, too short. I was thus even more looking forward to the Sunday breakfast I was having the next day.

2009 Star Trek Convention Saturday: Voyager Panel

Picture 1: Robert Picardo, Roxann Dawson, Ethan Phillips and Tim Russ laughing with the audience

Picture 2: Robert Picardo and Roxann Dawson concentrating on a fan's question

Picture 3: Ethan Phillips and Tim Russ

Picture 4: Roxann and Ethan

Picture 5: Robert Picardo talking to the audience

Saturday was the day of the Star Trek Voyager Panel. Voyager is my favourite series along with The Next Generation and so it was with trepidation that I was looking forward to this one.
On this beautiful afternoon, in a theatre full of expecting fans, walked on stage Ethan Phillips (Neelix), Robert Picardo (the Doctor), Tim Russ (Tuvok), and the beautiful Roxann Dawson (B’Elanna Torres). It was not long after everyone was seated that jokes were darting all over the stage. The Voyager actors, friends to be sure, were having a field day and much like the Enterprise Panel they were hysterical

The fun started immediately with a conversation about wardrobe. Robert Picardo told the audience that the hat he was wearing served the purpose of cutting the glare from his head. Then the discussion moved on to Tim Russ’s choice of clothes with a suggestion that he may or may not be wearing sweatpants. But then, Picardo added that Russ spent most of his time on set in his bathrobe.

Ethan Phillips later joked that while on Voyager, he had both acting and janitorial roles on the set, to which Robert Picardo again dryly replied that his role was to wrangle and manage Ethan on set – to the amusement of the actors and their equally rapt audience. At one point, Tim Russ declared ''you thought seven years in the Delta Quadrant was bad, try working with these guys for years.'' To which Ethan Phillips replied ''try working with Tim after a three bean quiche,'' and Robert Picardo to add ''Tim Russ, the man, the myth, the methane.'' By then, the audience was just holding their sides with laughter.

During the panel, Robert Picardo recalled that there was, at one point, an idea to bring DeForest Kelley to the show. He had proposed that the Doctor would need to consult the medical database and ask Bones a question concerning medical ethics. However, this scene was never filmed because of Kelley’s health problems. Robert Picardo then said that he later met DeForest Kelley at one time after being on stage at the Creation convention in California, and recalled that Kelley had quipped to him ''I'm a doctor, not a hologram.''

Roxann Dawson shared her thoughts about working on Voyager while pregnant on and off the show (she was pregnant in season 6 but they hid it and then they made her character pregnant in season 7) so for two years we didn’t see her figure. She and Tim Russ also shared in the notion that they hated directing and acting at the same time, which they did in certain episodes. They both agreed that it was better to concentrate on one task at a time.

On working on Stargate Atlantis, Robert Picardo said that it was easier to ad-lib on he newer franchise but not on Star Trek. Also, that he was a secret agent brought in by the other side to take down the show. It was very funny.

One person asked a question concerning the destruction of Vulcan in the newest Star Trek movie. Tim Russ first replied that he was glad to have gotten a weekend pass to get off the planet (laughter from the audience) and then Ethan Phillips exclaimed that he was tired to hear about Vulcan: ''What about Talax?!'' he quipped. The crowd was very amused at this and the comment drew big laughs.

About their favourite Kate Mulgrew recollections, Tim Russ told a completely hysterical story that took place during the filming of Flashback. Tossing some debris from the set, Kate Mulgrew warned Russ not to hit her with it. After thinking about it, he did, and when he got back to his trailer all his clothes were gone. Then, in retaliation, Tim Russ posted pictures of his bare behind all over Kate Mulgrew’s trailer but finally they made peace. At almost the same moment both Ethan Phillips and Robert Picardo indicated to the audience that these pictures were now for sale in the Vendor’s room. It was priceless. Then Robert Picardo told a more bittersweet story when he recalled that on the very last day of shooting for pick-up shots, Kate Mulgrew was there and they were literally taking down the set while filming. When they called the very last shot, Robert happened to stick his head there (he claims he was probably stealing pieces from the set and that made everyone roar with laughter) and Kate started crying and hugged him.

When the panel ended, there was a long standing ovation in the packed theatre. The actors were obviously delighted at this very warm reception and stood up in salutation. It was clear that many of the audience members were Voyager fans who totally loved them, and I was one of them.

2009 Star Trek Convention Friday: House Call

Picture 1: Ethan Phillips and Robert Picardo doing the reading for House Call

Picture 2: DS9's Armin Shimmerman, at the foot of the stage, showed up mid-presentation to encourage the boys

Picture 3: Ethan Phillips doing his Solo reading while Robert Picardo is concentrating on the lines

Picture 4: The Doctor and Neelix in the Delta Quadrant

Picture 5: A lovely presentation after the play where Robert sang and Ethan played the saxophone

One of the biggest highlights of my Friday, during the Las Vegas Star Trek Convention at the Hilton, was to go and see House Call in the DeForest Kelley Theatre. This 45-minute one-act two-character hysterical play, co-written by Robert Picardo, Ethan Phillips, and Ted Kopulos, tells the audience about what happened to the Voyager Crew after their return to the Alpha Quadrant.

Told by the Doctor, played by the ever wonderful Robert Picardo, and by Neelix, played by the incredible Ethan Phillips, the play opens with the Doctor as he is preparing himself to go on a date with Seven of Nine in a very funny scene where he is applying too much of a perfume preparation with the computer’s help. He is then disrupted by a communication coming from his former Voyager comrade, Mister Neelix, back in the Delta Quadrant.

Following a lively and hysterical conversation between the two characters, the audience discovers what the members of the Voyager crew are now doing since coming home. We learn, for example, that Kathryn Janeway is now an Admiral but that she is still in command of her own ship, and we also learn that the Doctor is now teaching and has already gone on a date with Seven before (in a very hilarious retelling). However, the light-hearted reunion turns into something a bit more serious - though never dramatic -when Neelix admits to the Doctor that he needs his help because his stepson is sick and that he is worried about him (something having to do with spots) since no one else seems to be able to do anything to help. At which time, the Doctor offers to have his program be sent to the Delta Quadrant and to help personally. The two friends are reunited, the Doctor cures the young man, they make jokes when the Doctor claims he has dreamed he was named Joe (the Doctor’s indecision to chose a name has been a constant on the show and we learned, in the last episode, part of which takes place 20 years into the future, that he has finally chosen the very mundane name Joe), they burst into two songs from Man of La Mancha and then the Doctor returns to the Alpha Quadrant.

Both Ethan Phillips and Robert Picardo were in fine form, and the dialogue was witty and true to the tone and personality of each of the two characters. It was wonderful to see the both of them slip so easily back into characters that they have lived with and we have known for over 20 years. While I expected them to be fully dressed and made up as their Voyager characters (I had never seen the play before), the presentation was more low-key and closer in style to a play-reading. They both stood at a lectern and read their parts from there, with Robert Picardo at one point going over to Ethan Phillips’ side in a simulation of his arrival to the Delta Quadrant, complete with voice-made sound effects to the utter delight of the audience.

The play was hilarious and the audience appeared completely delighted by the experience. The easy banter between both Robert Picardo and Ethan Phillips was a source of much fun for the fans who clearly adore them and the rapport and evident friendship between the two actors provided some of the highlights of the show. At one point, Ethan started rambling at his lectern and Bob had to tell him to stop it. Believe me, it was very funny, and they went at it on and off during the run of the play. It was glorious. When House Call ended the audience rose to their feet and warmly applauded the two men to show their appreciation.

A small gem, I wish House Call would be filmed so that everyone could get to enjoy it. What I will remember the most, beside the amazing performances, is that the fans had fun, the actors were wonderful and funny, and I believe the play was a success all around. If you ever get to a Star Trek convention and House Call is being played, you have to see it, believe me, you wont regret it.