[CON] Roxann Dawson Convention Review
Sashi Alexandra German
Saturday May 26, 2001
Guest: Roxann Dawson (B'Elanna Torres, Star Trek: Voyager)
By Sashi Alexandra German <sa...@feith.com>
(C) Copyright 2001 Sashi Alexandra German, <sa...@feith.com>
All Rights Reserved
Guest Roxann Dawson was in fabulous form during her Saturday appearance,
wearing a blue, sleeveless dress and rather short hair. She was funny, witty
and delightful and proudly proclaimed to everyone when she got on stage that
this was her very first convention after the ending of the series had aired
(just the week before) and this was the first time she was at a convention
without a script in her room to study.
Right off the bat she asked the fans in the audience if they liked the
series finale (Endgame) and there was much applause. "I thought it was a
very classy ending." She wondered whether the ship just heading to Earth was
the real way to end it. Would it have been better to see more, such as
Janeway facing a Court Martial for breaking Starfleet rules... 7of9 going
off to jail... Paris becoming a father...
Roxann is always a GREAT source of information for Trek so this review is
filled with tons of it. It even includes a few snippets on the new Trek
series "Enterprise" in which she is directing an episode.
STAR TREK:
Before anyone had a chance to ask she answered the usual question about
the make-up: It took 2 1/2 hours for the Klingon make-up to go on and an
hour to take it off. "Ethan was three hours of make-up - would you believe
that??"
She watched the series Finale with her 3-year-old kid and the kid saw her
mommy (B'Elanna having a baby) and her kid looked at her and asked, "Who is
that?" (on the screen). She said her kid didn't like that at all. Roxann
also explained that when she was pregnant three years ago she asked the
writers to include an eating disorder for Torres... seeing B'Elanna eating
food constantly in Engineering, "but they didn't go with that. Then when
they make me pregnant they had to put all this padding" on her. She
commented how, when she was really pregnant during 4th season, they hid her
pregnancy by having her wear an Engineering "smock" that had the tools
actually SEWN INTO the jacket and could not be removed.
She commented that the padding during the latter part of 7th season
became quite extensive and quite uncomfortable. She was wearing a wool
uniform, rubber on her face and boots and it was all uncomfortable, "But I
was supposed to be pregnant so it made sense."
She said it was strange that the series, as a whole, was over - it *was*
a seven year commitment, "which was an oddity. But I won't miss the make-up
at all." She feels overall there will be no continuation of the show, that
the writers knew what they were doing at the end of the episode. She has
heard no plans for a TV movie of any kind. She said that after seven years
it was sort of good to have it over, feeling it was time to graduate, like
school, and looks forward to the future. She doesn't regret the seven years
but does feel it is time to move on.
The most poignant episode of 7ths eason was when Ethan Phillips (Neelix)
left. "Because it was the last scene the whole cast would be together before
the end of the show."
The very day of filming for the show was her and Robert Picardo doing the
Be'Elanna-gives-birth scene.
How did it feel as the series was coming to a close? She said she has so
many strange feelings going on, especially when the sets started being taken
apart - it was then that she felt it was all going away. She said she stole
a piece of the Engineering set... she tried to steal to the Warpcore, "But
it was too big to fit in my purse." She said Robert Picardo (Holographc
Doctor, Joe) stole the wooden railing around the Warpcore and put it around
the bar at his house. She thought it was neat to have part of the set.
Roxann was asked what it was like to be called "B'Elanna" in public by
the fans? "If they look nice than I say 'Hi.' If they look weird than I
ignore them." She said she feels the Klingon make-up has been good to hide
her real appearance and help her get other work and not get typecast.
About the first season episode "Faces," "When I hardly knew my
character." She asked her parents to watch this particular episode and her
mother calls her afterward and tells her she was good. Roxann said she was
disappointed because she put so much hard work into both roles. Then, months
later, she talks with her mother about the episode again and her mother
comments that woman who played the Klingon female was terrific.... not
knowing it was Roxann all along (much laughter from the audience).
Speaking of first season, she said in the beginning when the cast had
been hired for the show, they were all given a tour of the various sets like
the Bridge, Sickbay, etc. When they got to Engineering, director Rick Kolbe
turned to Roxann and said, "And this two-level set is yours and you'll be
shoveling coal over there." Roxann said she went home to her husband saying
she'd shoveling coal in the show!
In terms of how she got the part, she said her agent called her and said
that Paramount was doing a new Star Trek series and it was shooting in Los
Angeles - which was good for her because it was local, "And I wanted to work
locally." She went in for some readings but didn't hearing anything for
three months. Finally, she decides she should watch at least a little Trek
to see what it's all about since she didn't have a clue. She watches some
TNG, sees Worf's character and goes, "Oh, that poor man," and all the
make-up. Finally she is told she has the part - hr agent having been told,
"No, there would be minimal make-up." The early tests for her make-up "were
horrendous. It was all very heavy and I would come home crying it was so
awful." She had her parents over for dinner and showed them a picture of
what she would look like and, "He just laughed and laughed." Months later he
came to her asking for promotional shots and about how he needs autographs
for a few friends...
She directed the episodes "Riddles" and "Workforce Part II" and will now
be directing the second episode of the new Star Trek series "Enterprise."
"Voyager has ended for me, but my association with Star Trek continues."
Does Roxann consider herself to be an "action hero?" "No, because as an
actor you do all sorts of things and this is just one of those things."
She was asked about her action figure and commented about how she and
Ethan Phillips (Neelix) joke that the plastic figures look nothing like
them.
Roxann was asked what it was like working with such an excellent actress
as Kate Mulgrew (Janeway)? She felt that Kate "held the standard we tried to
hold up to. She was a real team player and a cohesive force."
Would she participate in a Voyager movie? "If B'Elanna has to wear
make-up, probably not - just joking!" She said she knew a new TNG movie was
planned but didn't know if DS9 or Voyager would become movies. "Probably
not."
Was there ever a scene where she had to do a lot of takes? Roxann laughed
and went into this hysterical story about how it was first season and the
director of the episode was TNG's LeVar Burton (Geordi LaForge). Roxann said
she had *just* started becoming comfortable with all the technobabble... she
had problems with it in the beginning... but get better at as season
progressed. Then Burton comes in to direct and suddenly there was line of
technobabble that she simply COULD NOT DO. Take after take and she couldn't
get it, "I was SO embarrassed." Burton eventually walks her around the
Engineering set and tells her that she can do it, it'll come to her.
Eventually she gets the line, but ever since then has *never* forgotten it,
"Vent the conduits around the dorsal emitters." She felt it was on of her
most embarrassing moments on the set.
What are some memories from being with the cast? Roxann said it was hard
to choose, really, part of the problem being there so many times when she
and Kate Mulgrew, "Would laugh so hard it would be awful. The boys would do
Riverdance impressions and do impressions of people." She said Tim Russ once
appeared totally naked in a turbilist scene. When asked about Robert Duncan
McNeill (Tom Paris), she said Robbie and Tim Russ would do stuff, "juvenile
stuff." Like Robbie would get a "big guber thing and stick it in his nose
and wait for someone to say something." She felt it was not that funny...
just weird. Tim wanted to get a huge afro hair style with a bog book box and
play the theme to "Shaft." She described Ethan Phillips as "quite loony." he
would simply moon people all the time. Robert Beltran would do impressions
of people as did Garrett Wang. "The girls were entertained but the boys were
who would entertain." Meanwhile, with Garrett, on the Internet someone had
put his head on the body of a body builder and she would take it to the set
and show it off to people - so proud of it. She said recently on a Trek
cruise he denied the whole thing but then posed for everyone (with clothes
on). She thinks the picture is probably framed somewhere.
Her favorite 7th season episode was "Lineage." "I was reading the script
and kept breaking down and crying. I felt it was the strongest story," and
was meaningful for her.
An audience member mentioned that a recent PBS Nova episode covered the
issue of genetics and showed a scene from the Voyager episode "Lineage"
where B'Elanna wanted to change the genetics of her unborn child. Roxann was
proud of that.
Was never a Star Trek fan before joining Voyager, "But I have SEEN THE
LIGHT!"
Roxann said it was weird that B'Elanna was in TV Guide as one of ScFi-'s
sexist stars... she felt it was B'Elanna, NOT HER, Roxann, in the issue. "Bt
it was neat to have a woman with ridges was a sexy sci-fi woman."
The name of B'Elanna's & Tom's baby is Niral, named after Roxann's
mother.
Roxann described the Warpcore as swirling lights in a screen, "Sort of a
large lava lamp."
What was it like play "angry" on the show? "It was SO much fun!" She said
in real life she can get very angry and frustrated and has been known to use
dishes and throw them in a garage so as not to break other, more valuable
things.
If Torres has not been romantically involved with Tom Paris, who would
she have wanted Torres to be hooked up with? "Janeway!" she laughed.
How did she about Kes leaving after 3rd season? Roxann explained that she
had just become pregnant and had been written out of a lot of scripts. She
just wasn't present for a lot of stuff with Kes. But "I feel it was a good
cast before (Jennifer Lien left) and a good cast afterward... we had a lot
of fun all around."
STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE
She is directing the second episode of the first season. She said she
actually had a script upstairs in her room for the episode, "Bt I have been
SWORN to secrecy." She's been on the set and thinks Scott Bakula is a great
choice for Captain and it looks like a strong cast. She says there's a lot
going on in the opening pilot.
OTHER:
With the directing of the "Enterprise" episode and the like, she feels a
lor of her future will involve directing in general.
Regarding other work, she has been recently involved in the "Alien
Voices" audio series headed by Leonard Nimoy and John DeLancie. She said
things seemed to have fallen apart over a few things but hopes to do more.
She is continuing to work on the 3-book Simon & Schuster book series.
Called the Tenebria Trilogy (?), she's working with a writer. The only
guidelines given by Simon & Schuster were that there be a strong female
character and that the story be in the science fiction genre. The first book
has already been released in paperback after an initial 750 hardback
release. The second book is coming out soon with the same charity release of
750 hard backs and will then eventually be released in paperback to the
public. She has written mostly in play form, not novel form and it has been
quite interesting for her.
One of her upcoming projects is to be in Austin, Yexas the first weekend
of September to do some workshops as well as put on a play that she wrote.
Roxann said her first professional job our of college was doing two years
of "A Chorus Line." She has done two very long runs of shows now in her life
(she indicated she wound up doing "A Chorus Line" a lot longer than two
years).
PERSONAL:
Her life has changed quite dramatically since Voyager ended. She talked
about how she has more time with her children and how they love having her
at home. She used to have to get up at 3:30am every morning to be at work by
4:15am for make-up. Now she has time to take her kids to swimming lessons
and plant a garden. "I am enjoying the time."
Her education involved UCLA Berkley, some in New Yoork and with in Los
Angeles with her favorite instructor, Larry Moss. She said that for big
B'Elana episodes she would often go to him for advice. She said in general
actord should be constantly training even while acting.
What does she think she'll be doing in the next five years or so? "I am
someone who doesn't know what bored means." She said she had the trilogy of
books she was working on, hoping it would turn into a screenplay. She wants
to spend more time with her children, and get to know her husband again.
"There are so many things, from traveling to writing... I just want to
embrace life."
A 6-year-old fan in the audience asked what it was like to have a baby.
Roxann's response, "VERY PAINFUL!"
At the end of her talk she auctioned off a signed picture of Jeri Ryan, Kate
Mulgrew and herself in the famous "evening gown" picture. It was for a
charity for children in an AIDS camp, Camp Heartland. Also for the Ha;f a
Sky Foundation (did I get that right?) where it helps female children in
china... where girls in China are nit valued as much as boys and are
mistreated and this helps girls, among other things, find homes out of their
native China.
(C) Copyright 2001 Sashi Alexandra German, <sa...@feith.com>
All Rights Reserved.
Permission to duplicate electronically, for nonprofit posting on an
electronic fora or for other reading enjoyment, is especially granted, AS
LONG AS THIS COPYRIGHT NOTICE IS PRESERVED AND NO CHANGES ARE MADE TO THE
MATERIAL. No other reproduction in any form is authorized without prior
permission from this copyright holder (and that's not hard to get! All you
do is ASK!).
--
Dear Starfleet, Hate you, hate the Federation, taking Voyager -- Janeway
-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-
SASHI ALEXANDRA GERMAN -- sa...@feith.com
-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-
--
Sashi Alexandra German
sa...@feith.com
--
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