2002 Pasadena Xena Convention

DISCLAIMER: The following is a purely subjective view of what happened during the convention weekend. Most quotes are paraphrased or simply my own impressions of the moment.


My Report: Day 2, Part 1 - Saturday

After showers and dressing, we went down and had a lovely breakfast in the hotel with Cath, discussing our various jobs, Kevin, the show and how we got hooked, and how we've tried to hook others, etc. After which, we went over to the convention center. There was still quite a bit of time before the show started, so we dispersed for shopping purposes. I immediately went to get a copy of the script for When Fates Collide so I could get Katherine to sign it for me. Then after glancing over the new photos' table again in the front, I headed over to the Annex - an adjacent room to the main hall, where they conducted much of the signing. They also had several more tables of older photos for 5 dollars. My intention was to go look-see, even though I had no more money, but I ended up at the Hudson Fan Club table getting my proud member badge, looking through the many photo albums they had, and talking with several people about how amazing she is. Another woman, Robyn, stopped by and she and I started chatting, and gradually took the conversation away from the table and more into the room so as not to intrude on other Hudson fans' pleasure of looking at the goddess' pix.

While Robyn and I were standing there talking with great animation (as is my tendency) about the finale, Katherine Fugate (and friend) came up to us and asked about the script in my hand. She hadn't seen the published ones yet and wanted to know if it was the long version she asked Sharon to use. I hadn't opened it yet, so I didn't know. I would have opened it up for her, but we started chatting instead. Robyn asked her if she would be writing any fan fic, but Katherine said she couldn't because of her contract and the union. She could try doing it under a different name, but she feared she would be caught eventually and get into trouble. To which I responded, "Then please don't. We need you writing professionally! Don't get yourself into trouble." I asked her if she'd sign my script and she said she'd do it at the signing session after she talked. We told her we were really looking forward to that and that she was just so wonderful. She modestly flicked her hand at us in an "Oh go on" fashion and said she was excited about seeing the ep on the big screen, as were we. I also told her I was a writer and was going to study her script, at which she gave me this, "Pff. Oh please!" look before she and her friend bid us, "See ya later."

Watching When Fates Collide on the big screen was all you'd think it would be. Glorious! That's the way it should be seen. The scope and magnificence of it just radiated off the screen. As Katherine said later in her talk, it's quite Shakespearian. Of course, it made me cry.

After the showing, Katherine came out and the room exploded with applause. She, of course, was overwhelmed, but deeply grateful. I asked her about her initial approach to writing. Does she start with character, plot, images, etc? Also, if the ep had been two hours, what would she have added to it? To answer the second one, she said that the one she asked Sharon to print is the long version, which was on its way to being a two-hour ep. That was one of the original ideas for it. It was also a possibility for the finale. However, they decided they couldn't end the show in an alternate universe. If it had been two hours, she would have fleshed out more of the differences between the two worlds, and included more characters and backgrounds, etc. As to the first question, I'm currently drawing a blank as to what her answer was specifically. Maybe someone else remembers and can email me. But I do know that it pretty much went along with my own approach and understanding of writing. Very good to know.

She talked about writing in different styles. Where this script was very Shakespearian, her current project, Caroline is more realistic. However, many of the themes in both are the same. She can focus on similar themes and interests in many of the things she writes, but the styles will be different depending on the needs of the show or project. Someone else asked her about collaborating with John Fawcett, the director of WFC. She said he was the perfect person for the job. She loved his approach to the piece and his consideration for the writer. He used every draft she had written, spread out in front of him, and he picked and chose the best pieces of all of them. As for working with LL and ROC, she said she and ROC clicked right away. Maybe because they're both American, or because ROC was one of the few people Katherine could understand. She also noted that ROC was very interested in Katherine's ideas; always asking her, what she meant when she wrote this or what she thought of that. ROC is always searching for more info. LL would ask or comment about stuff too, but after 3 or 4 days Katherine finally had to confess to her that she hadn't understood one word she'd said to her the whole time. She had just nodded her head "yes" a lot. Therefore, she asked LL if she wouldn't mind talking to her in her Xena voice. LOL!!!

Some people, naturally, asked about the kiss in the jail scene. She assured everyone that it was going to be a real, romantic kiss, and that the producers and cast were perfectly fine with it. No one had a problem with putting a kiss there. They all felt it was very appropriate for the scene and the characters. In the end, however, it wasn't filmed because they decided that a kiss should be in the finale, and that having a kiss in WFC as well would have created less of an impact for the final episode. This was decided before the finale was even written. She didn't express any feelings about whether she agreed with them or not, she just stated what transpired at the time and the reasons for it. What happened between WFC and FIN in terms of how TPTB saw that kiss manifesting itself is unknown, and obviously had nothing to do with Katherine or WFC.

As soon as Katherine left the stage, I scurried over to the annex for autographs with her and Josie. Lines were already formed, so with script and Friday night's program firmly in hand, I joined the ranks. When I got up to Katherine, the staff person taking the items to be signed gave her my script and told her my name. She looked up at me, smiled, and said, "My friend Sarah! I know you." Hee! What a sweetheart! I thanked her muchly for her talk, told her she rocks, she thanked me with a humble smile, and I was off.

Josie was next, and while signing mine, I told her my favorite part of her play was the baby scene, and how it pierces the heart but makes you laugh at the same time. Brilliant! She looked a bit curious at me in response, but said "thank you" anyway. I don't think she quite got my meaning, but that's ok. I also don't think she cared for the formality of Creation's signing process. She seemed much more at ease the night before when she was by herself and able to get up close and personal, take her time, and actually talk to people. She was really quite personable and chatty. At the charity breakfast, she started going around and sitting at various tables to talk with people before the "formal" activities commenced. Our table didn't get to talk with her much or get a picture taking session with her cause she was interrupted by the "formal" proceedings. But that's ok. It was still fun to watch her flitting around and hamming it with up with the other people. Every once in a while I would catch a glimpse of her posing or laughing or chatting, and I would envision LL doing it. It wasn't all the time, but occasionally it would catch me off guard... the thought that, "Shit! This is Lucy's sister!! And here I am talking and laughing with her, and standing right next to her." It was very cool!

Because I was off getting K and J's autographs, I completely missed Katie Stuart (Genia) - who I was told is only 17 years old!! - and William Greg Lee (Virgil). Therefore, you'll have to catch up with them from someone else's report.

I did manage to get back for the "New Women of Sci-Fi" music video that Jamester put together. Quite awesome! It incorporates both film and TV action women from: Witchblade, Charlie's Angels (the movie), Aliens, Charmed, Buffy:TVS, Terminator 2, X-Men, and of course Xena and Gabs, and several others. Very well done. It's a work in progress, so he's hoping to include more. Someone needs to tell him to get Aeryn Sun in there pronto!

This then lead into Vicky Pratt's (Cyan) Q&A session. What a cutie!! I love her laugh (and told her so when I got her autograph). She thankfully wore a tank top, revealing her arms and a bit of abs. Very nice. We got her to flex at least. First on her agenda, though, was giving away pictures of herself from Mutant X. She asked several trivia questions about the show (I don't watch the show, so I was no help ) and the winners got a signed pic each. I thought it interesting and rather sweet that she signed them on the spot in front of the winners. I couldn't think of anything interesting to ask her, but she seemed to do all right with the few questions she received. She certainly kept things going with ease. She revealed that she's Canadian and that the reason she missed the last con she was to attend was because they wouldn't let her out of the country. Apparently, her green card had just expired. They make it very difficult for Canadian actors to come to the States to work. However, MX is filmed in Canada, which is nice in that respect, but tough since she had made a life in LA for so long. She misses all of her friends here. She's gotten to where the people she works with there are her closest friends, so she spends all of her time at work. But she loves it, so it's ok. Her job is also separating her from her husband, director TJ Scott, who came up on stage with her for a few funny and embarrassing stories, as well as confirmation that that was indeed Vicky's butt in Sin Trade. I can't remember now what the stories were exactly, but it was nice to finally see what he looks like (quite a handsome fella!), and the two of them made a mighty cute couple.

She also talked a bit about stunt work. She likes to do as much of her own stunts as the insurance co. will cover. She did a stunt that had her diving off a building on MX, but the insurance will only cover her for 3 stories. So that's the height she jumped... a swan dive off the top of a 3 story building into an air bag. Then her stunt double did the long shot dive off of a much higher building while hooked up to a rig. However, Vicky said she really has no interest in jumping from a huge height like that. She also told about this huge, white, ball, interior set they build on Cleo 2525 where they had to remove one section of the wall, let the actors in and rig them up so they were suspended from these tracks that went around the top, put the camera in, and close up the wall. Then someone would give them a push and they'd start running and jumping and stuff from the walls. She said it's the most fun she's ever had on set. Someone asked about why she thought she and Gina Torres were two of the few alumni woman that have gotten consistent jobs after their work in NZ. She thought it was because she and Gina can do the action stuff, which is rare to find, and that's in high demand these days. Dramas and comedies have more competition for them. I thoroughly enjoyed Vicky. The woman is a true joy to listen to and to watch.

This is when things got screwy with time. They set up the signing session for Katie, Greg and Vicky in the auditorium just off to the side and back of the stage so that people in line could still watch the show. Nice idea but it took them way too long to get everyone through. At a certain point, you couldn't directly see the stage, you could only see the back of the screen, which did show you the image, but still... They went through several videos and all of Alex's Q&A and into Alexis's Q&A before my row was called. Then I was still in line and only half way to the signing table by the time they were about to show Callisto's video and introduce Hudson. Of course, there's no way in hell I would miss that entrance. So... I jumped out of line just as the lights went out for the video and went back to my seat. Later, after about 45 min. to an hour into HL's Q&A (i.e. Hudson's struttin' time) I zipped over to the signing tables and caught Greg just as he was leaving. He graciously signed my picture and commented what a great family this is and how lucky he's been to be a part of it. Then I got into the very short line to get Vicky's autograph, then zipped back to my seat to finish out with HL for another 15 or so minutes. I swear, the woman could stay on stage for 3 hours and not get boring. She might get bored, but we sure wouldn't.

Next up: Alex, Alexis and Hudson...

Copyright - Sarah Mears, 2/18/02; Edited: 2/24/02
Saturday [Report #2] [Pictures]


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