By Steve Winter, video by Kenny Fried
LAS VEGAS — If you ask any of the stars appearing this week at the Las Vegas Star Trek Convention what they think is the greatest single thing about the iconic franchise, they will tell you – universally: “It’s the fans.”
Gene Roddenberry’s vision and passion created the “Star Trek” universe, the writers and directors crafted the stories and the cast and crew brought those sagas to life — but it’s been the fans that have kept the Great Bird of the Galaxy’s image of the future flourishing.
It’s no secret that a fan-driven letter writing campaign kept “Star Trek” on the air in 1968 after its first two seasons, or that the convention circuit, which launched in the 1970s, continued to fuel that demand until Paramount brought the genre back to the screen. While a viable percentage of the fan base has decried “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” for its lack of action, nobody can deny that the long-awaited and greatly overdue return to prominence of Kirk, Spock and McCoy laid the groundwork for what is now six full television series, with a seventh on the horizon, 13 motion pictures and a whole lot more.
This week in Las Vegas, thousands of fans have flocked to the Rio Suites to mix and mingle with their heroes; exchange quips with writers, producers and directors; and celebrate one half century of boldly going where no one has gone before. It’s a passion that’s clearly evident in every corner of the show, but especially so for those who engage in “cosplay,” the science and art of dressing in character.
“I love the cosplay aspect of these conventions,” said Tanya Burchell of Charlottesville, Virginia, who roamed the floor with her friend, Avery Evans of Richmond – both of whom were dressed in “Original Series” officers’ garb.
“It’s fantastically fun. You just look around and you can see this is the one place we can come together after 50 years and still celebrate the same thing all together with absolutely no prejudice. Everybody gathers here as friends … it’s just wonderful.”
For Mindy Madsen of Orem, Utah – who was dressed as Seven of Nine from the”Voyager” series — Star Trek 50 cosplay provided the opportunity to honor a character she greatly admires.
“Seven is a really fun, strong female character,” she said. “Plus, I really like the costume. I do a lot of costumes and this one really appealed to me.
“But what I really like most is the interaction with the other fans – fans like me. We really get a kick out of dressing up and pretending to be somebody else for the day.”
For Julie and Hanna Anderson of North Pole, Alaska, dressed as Andorians from “Star Trek Enterprise,” their choice of costume brought them closer to home.
“We’re from the frozen world of North Pole, Alaska, so we thought dressing up as Andorians was appropriate for us,” said Julie.
Her sister Hanna agreed.
“Every once in a while, it’s great to express yourself and events like these provide a great place to do it. ‘Star Trek Enterprise’ was my personal favorite series. I loved the whole story line, especially seeing the Andorian homeworld with the ice and caverns and snow.”
At the end of the day, cosplay at Star Trek 50 is all about giving show attendees a place where they can embrace their passion, display their creativity and have a lot of fun — all within the confines of a warm, accepting and comfortable environment.
“’Star Trek’ has translated over to me in real life,” said Evans. “I’ve made great new friends like Tanya here. We get together at shows all over the country and visit each other when we travel across the nation. It’s like having a secondary family. The one thing I love about most about ‘Star Trek’ is that the show has brought people together like this, and you don’t have anybody judging you or giving you grief about it.”
The Las Vegas Star Trek Convention runs from Aug. 3 -7, 2016.
Stay with WTOP contributors Steve Winter and Kenny Fried for updates from the convention.
Steve Winter and Kenny Fried are WTOP contributors who work for Brotman|Winter|Fried, a Sage Communications Company.
