Con Report & Photos: Star Trek New Jersey 2011 – Dorn, Nichols, Visitor, Auberjonois, Trinneer, Keating + Shatner & more

Creation Entertainment’s Star Trek convention in Parsippany, NJ was already set to be a fun con, but then William Shatner showed up with a camera crew and made it even better. See below for TrekMovie.com’s full report on the con with details and pictures of celebrity guests Michael Dorn, Nichelle Nichols, Nana Visitor, Rene Auberjonois, Connor Trinneer, Dominic Keating and more.

 

CON REPORT: Star Trek New Jersey Con 2011

In its 40 year history of producing genre events, it is certain Creation Entertainment never produced a convention quite like the one that unfolded this past weekend in Parsippany, NJ. Known for their structure and organization, the biggest discord introduced into the company’s shows usually runs along the predictable lines of events running a bit late or the odd technical gaffe with equipment. Nothing could have prepared the company or the attending fans for the discord introduced by the whirlwind that is William Shatner. As TrekMovie revealed late Friday, Shatner with his production staff and crew made a surprise appearance at the New Jersey con to shoot the pilot episode of the new proposed reality series Fan Addicts.

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Camera crew for "Fan Addicts" pilot shooting during Creation’s New Jersey 2011 Star Trek Con

Grace Lee Whitney

Friday’s crowd was pleased to welcome the popular original Star Trek series cast member Grace Lee Whitney (Yeoman Rand), who discussed the familiar but still heartbreaking story of her departure from the show after a drunken assault by an unnamed Desilu executive. She also revealed her gratitude and affection for the mentorship of Lucille Ball (“She told me not to act, just to react.”) and recalled the wonderful hours spent with Leonard Nimoy during their prolonged time in the makeup room (“him with his ears and me with my big bee-hive thing”) while Shatner “breezed in and out in five minutes”. Whitney also received a huge ovation from the fans after declaring 2011 her 30th year of sobriety.

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Grace Lee Whitney at New Jersey 2011 Star Trek Con

Nana Visitor and Rene Auberjonois

Deep Space Nine’s Major Kira and Odo had two sessions on Friday, the first a traditional question and answer exchange with the fans and the second a poetry and drama performance entitled “Cross Our Hearts.”  Taking the stage with the ease and assurance of two old friends, Auberjonois and Visitor seemed relaxed and genuinely pleased to be at the convention, engaging in friendly banter before opening up the proceedings to the fans queuing to ask questions. Although several concerned particular character moments and roles, several questions were focused on the craft of acting itself. “Actors have to believe with a passion that forces their audience to suspend disbelief,” Auberjonois declared. Visitor expressed her interest in returning to Broadway.

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Rene Auberjonois and Nana Visitor at New Jersey 2011 Star Trek Con

Their appearance was also lighthearted, containing numerous amusing moments. Auberjonois described Odo kissing Major Kira at one point and recalled “I came off on her face!” only to quickly add, “Wait! That didn’t come out right!” In answer to another question, he said “No, I never mind when people call me Odo. It’s a lot easier for them to say than Auberjonois!” Visitor recounted the time she suffered an injury on the Deep Space Nine set and was rushed to the hospital. “My God, what happened to your nose?” asked the stunned doctor, seeing her in makeup. The single most amusing moment came when a fan asked Auberjonois his opinion of his Boston Legal cast mate William Shatner. “Shatner was a prima donna!” he declared, prompting Shatner (who was filming backstage) to pop his head through the curtains and scowl.

“Cross Our Hearts”, the second presentation, featured Visitor and Auberjonois in an omnibus performance of works ranging from Christina Rossetti and Ernest Hemingway to a re-enactment of the first flashback meeting of Kira and Odo. Sitting behind simple podiums, the experienced actors used only the mobility of their faces, hands, vocal talents and timing to convey the complex emotions required by the material. It was a virtuoso performance, and long before the experience ended with the familiar patterns and cadences of Kira and Odo, the audience sat enraptured.

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Nana and Rene doing their "Cross Our Hearts" dramatic reading at New Jersey 2011 Star Trek Con

Connor Trinneer and Dominic Keating

Saturday’s headliners included the affable duo of Trip Tucker and Malcolm Reed from Enterprise. Of all the weekend appearances, the mischievous duo’s goofiness came closest to sending the proceedings off the rails. Trinneer discussed co-star Jolene Blalock’s flatulence, getting drunk at a studio party and fearing he would be fired, and having absolutely no idea what the scripted technobabble in the show meant. Keating, in very blunt and plain-spoken PG-13 language, spoke of cast mate Anthony Montgomery (“He would take one big breath in the morning and never F***ing shut-up the rest of the day!”) and his experiences with the auditioning process. He also relentlessly teased fans. For example, when one fan asked where he could be seen on stage, Keating replied “Right here! I thought Star Trek fans were supposed to be smart!”

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Connor Trinneer and Dominic Keating at New Jersey 2011 Star Trek Con

The audience clearly had a good time, and the duo left the stage to a standing ovation. In a characteristic Keating move, he insisted on signing the Creation
banners on the giant depiction of B’Etor and Lursa’s breasts.

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Dominic (with Connor looking on)  signs Klingon Kleavage

Barbara March and Gwynyth Walsh

Appearing in full makeup and regalia as Lursa nd B’Etor from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Barbara March and Gwynyth Walsh performed in-character musical numbers and engaged the fans in true Klingon fashion, never even breaking character during the prolonged photo-op and autographing sessions.

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The Duras Sisters (Gwynyth Walsh and Barbara March): Singing Klingons at New Jersey 2011 Star Trek Con

This is one case where photos will convey the spirit of the experience better than any words can. We wish to extend special thanks to Creation Entertainment for allowing us to shoot and include the backstage image revealing the depth of detail in the costuming and makeup.

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Gwynyth Walsh and Barbara March pose in character for fan photos

Bobby Clark

The genial and affable Bobby Clark took the stage early Sunday afternoon to describe his experiences as one of the original series’ best-loved villains, the Gorn Captain from “Arena”, and his long career in television. Still seeming a bit stunned by the enduring popularity of Star Trek, Clark revealed that it was his family that persuaded him to start doing conventions, a development he seems to truly enjoy. Describing the warmth of the Gorn suit (“I would have been hot even in the Arctic!”) and commenting on the lack of depth in the character conception (“The Gorn was thought of as a one-off and really given no background”) Clark had such a good time that he jokingly refused to relinquish the stage when his slot ended. His good nature and obvious joy in the proceedings resulted in a warm ovation.

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Bobby Clark at his signing table at New Jersey 2011 Star Trek Con

Michael Dorn

The actor who portrayed Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine’s gruff Worf graciously stepped in after a scheduling conflict (directing an episode of the series Leverage) forced Jonathan Frakes to bow out. Relaxed and looking fit, Dorn described his vegan lifestyle, his interest in piloting small planes, and his favorite Worf moments through the years. Asked if he would ever consent to appear in his Worf costume at one of these events, Dorn assented immediately. “Sure! For $1,000,000!” As he was limited by time, Dorn’s fans caused a minor logjam as they all tried to exit to get to his autograph line at the same time. Speaking of the costume one female fan noted she thought "Klingons are sexy" and asked if Michael had ever dressed as Worf in the bedroom, the actor was clear "No!"

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Michael Dorn at New Jersey 2011 Star Trek Con – his price to appear in Worf Costume: $1M

Michael also talked quite a bit about his transition from TNG to DS9, revealing that the atmosphere was quite different between the two shows with TNG a "party atmosphere" and DS9 "like a church." But he said after a year and half he got the DS9 cast to relax and have more fun. Dorn also talked at length about the Worf/Dax on-screen romance, which he dubbed "Star Trek’s Bogie and Bacall." Regarding Terry Farrell leaving the show for the seventh and final season, Dorn said he understood why she did it for professional reasons, but he wanted her to stay. He also noted that Dax should have had a "more spectacular death."

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Dorn says Terry Farrell should have had a better death departing DS9

Nichelle Nichols

The ever-enchanting Lt. Uhura of the original series was the last headlined guest at this year’s convention. In tribute to their long association, she insisted Creation co-founder Adam Malin share the stage with her during her appearance. Malin, honored but clearly drained after his energetic turn as the auctioneer during Creation’s traditional no-minimum bid event, gamely conducted an impromptu interview. Nichols discussed her audition and hiring for Star Trek, the legendary encounter with Dr. Martin Luther King that caused her to rethink her decision to leave the series, and her groundbreaking recruitment of women and minority astronauts for NASA. Ending with a soaring rendition of the original series’ theme, Nichols cheerfully went off to her photo-op and autograph session and the scheduled programming concluded.

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Nichelle Nichols with Creation’s Adam Malin at New Jersey 2011 Star Trek Con

Costume Contest

As Creation convention attendees know, the celebrity appearances are only one part of the ongoing entertainment at these events. From music videos to a panel discussion on the evolution of the ships of Starfleet, there are things to do all day. One of the most enduring and popular events is the traditional costume contests, so we include the following photos of the entrants and finalists. It was hard for the crowd to choose, but the eventual winners were the ladies in the homemade Duras sister costumes.

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The Shatner Effect

Instead of events all unfolding as per schedule at the 2011 Star Trek con in Parsippany, NJ the proceedings were turned into a chaotic multi-track convention due to surprise inclusion of William Shatner and a camera crew. While videos might be airing in the main ballroom, William Shatner was prowling the dealer’s room or hotel corridors shooting footage and fan interviews for the pilot of Fan Addicts, the new reality series centered around fans attending Creation Entertainment shows.

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Shatner directing moment with Creation’s Adam Malin

Shatner’s impromptu pilot shoot included a sweet moment interviewing his original series co-star Nichelle Nichols. Other of his original series cast mates were amused and amazed at his appearance as well. “I was setting up my table and who comes rushing in here but Bill!” Grace Lee Whitney (Yeoman Janice Rand) recalled, mimicking her surprised look. “That Shatner!” said Bobby Clark, the original Gorn Captain, smiling and shaking his head.

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Fan being interviewed for "Fan Addicts" pilot

Shatner certainly gave the fans a workout, most clearly late Saturday morning. He assembled over 100 attendees outside the hotel and directed them to literally run through the sliding doors, down the long corridor of the Hilton’s main lobby and into the dealer’s room while his cameras recorded them. Once gathered in the dealer’s room, his crew passed out FAN ADDICT signs and Shatner directed all present to yell out, showing their excitement. Bobby Clark was so bemused by the odd sight that he popped up and began shooting photos with his own digital camera.

As Shatner continued to film the first two days of the event, an even stranger phenomenon occurred. So ubiquitous was his presence, that oddly the fans almost began taking the iconic original series captain in stride. People would glance over their shoulder and whisper “There’s Shatner again,” and go back to what they were doing. Only when he arranged certain prolonged set shots (attendees leaving the con for the last time, for example) did he attract a truly large crowd of observers.
The only time Shatner formally took to the stage was a brief moment when he asked convention goers to all yell “Khaaaaaan!” at the same time as the cameras rolled. Other than that, he remained “behind the scenes”, but almost continually visible on both Friday and Saturday.

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Shatner directs group of fans for "Fan Addicts" pilot

A memorable con – with Shatner bonus

While William Shatner’s surprise appearance and continual presence was unquestionably the defining event of the weekend, the celebrities and programming also made Creation’s annual Official East Coast Star Trek Convention one of the most memorable in their long history of producing fan events.


More photos:

Slideshow from the con

Slideshow of Shatner & film crew:

 


 

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The Shat. Will his energy ever cease? I hope not!

Great article, Frank Jay! :)

“Shatner’s impromptu pilot shoot included a sweet moment interviewing his original series co-star Nichelle Nichols. Other of his original series cast mates were amused and amazed at his appearance as well. ‘I was setting up my table and who comes rushing in here but Bill!’ Grace Lee Whitney (Yeoman Janice Rand) recalled, mimicking her surprised look. ‘That Shatner!’ said Bobby Clark, the original Gorn Captain, smiling and shaking his head.”

Now see, it would have been fun if Clark took a Gorn-ish slow motion swing at Shatner, but this time Shatner, at 80 years old, can’t get out of the way in time and takes it on the head.

Thank you, Captain! Frank will do. Believe it or not, there are so many writers around named “Frank Gruber” I have to throw the Jay in just to stand out.

Thanks for that, Frank.

Like the Captains documentary, I have no idea whether I’ll ever get to see the reality show “Fan Addicts” either. I hope so.

That Shatner!

the Duras makeup doesn’t look quite as good as it did on screen, I suspect that that might be a function of the screen letting things look better then they actually are. However, I know that if these two really got into character, there is no way I would be seeing anything but Klingons on stage……those two were awesome.

The Shat Strikes again!. You just have to love the Guy. Looks like fun had by all. Nice to see the Gorn come back to Earth. Lol!

Couldn’t they just show what happened instead of artificially creating “crazy fan” moments? All this staging with the 100 attendees running like idiots through the doors and the whole building, fans yelling Khan on command and so on will just make Star Trek fans look stupid in the eyes of non fans.

There are already without contrived scenes enough “crazy fan moments”, they can show. But I guess normal fan behaviour is just not “crazy” enough for them and they need more material to make fans look stupid.

I wonder through why those Star Trek fans let themselves used like puppets. Most viewers who will watch the show will think they are idiots. I don’t know why they take part at their own humilation.

9: Valid concerns, but if William Shatner personally asked you to do something goofy, wouldn’t you do it? I suspect most fans would. Shatner himself is the king of self-deprecating goofiness (cue film clip of Bill waving maracas).

As we reported on Friday, Creation itself is the co-producer of this new series. It wouldn’t serve them or their customer base to exclusively portray fans in a silly or ridiculous light.

I can tell you that the interviews I personally observed Shatner conducting over the weekend (including the one he conducted with me) were respectful and not at all designed to depict the freakish fringe elements of fandom. He spoke to normal people engaging with their passion for Star Trek and having a good time with fellow like-minded souls.

How the finished product will turn out only Shatner and his team know, but I suggest we give them the benefit of the doubt.

Michael Dorn is wonderful, I agree with what he said! Worf and Dax were awesome together

Where were the cameras in 1977 when Leonard Nimoy showed up at the NYC con unannounced…no cues needed as nearly 3000 fans streamed to the ballroom to see Nimoy bawl them out for the nasty letters he was getting because he wasn’t sure he wanted to do Spock again!

My, how time changes things!

“Dorn described his vegan lifestyle”

Well that explains why he looks so skinny and frail these days.

Eat meat people!!!

Happy Birthday Dominic Keating, you old farker you…

Keepin’ the sailor talk just this side of the watershed.

Good wrap up. Thanks.

BTW, I paid the $8.00 to watch the Duras sisters from my computer. It was great. Sound & video were perfect. I’ve been to several cons & this was almost as good as being there. I’d definitely do it again.

I had the time of my life! It was only my second TREK convention, and there I got to shake hands with my Hero/mentor William Shatner. Albeit a fleeting moment, I was taken aback to actually meet him face to face and shake his hand. I told him how honored I was to finally meet him, held out my hand, and he shook it and said “thank you” sincerely. WOW! Amoment I’ll never forget. Now I only want to meet him every week. The con overall was so much fun, and I was equally honored to meet all my other heroes as well: Grace Lee, Nichelle, Bobby Clark, Michael Dorn, and all the others. It was a fantastic time! Hats off, Creation!!!
—-SCOTTY OUT! (Scott L)