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Heather Llerandi’s Vulkon Convention Report Orlando, Florida  November 18, 2001 Photo & text by Heather Llerandi Please do not repost

Many Thanks to Heather for a wonderful report!

Well, the day was finally here. After the long months of waiting and wondering—going over case scenarios of what it might be like—it was Sunday November 18, 2001 and I was going to see Kate Mulgrew in just a few short hours. I had never before attended a Star Trek convention and this was my fist time seeing Kate in person. I was really hoping that this day would be special. I’m not sure exactly what I wanted to happen. I know, however, that I really wanted to ask Kate a question. I just wasn’t sure if I was going to have the nerve to actually do so.

Kate was due to arrive on stage at 3 o’clock PM. I was determined to see Kate coming into the hotel. I was not going to try and stop her for a picture or anything like that. I just simply wanted to see her getting out of the limo and walking through the doors. I knew this would be one of the only chances I had to see her so I did not want to miss anything. At 1:30 PM I was outside by one of the side entrances to the hotel. I waited and I waited…after about an hour I saw a convention staff member whom I recognized passing by. I stopped him to ask if Kate had arrived yet. He told be not yet but if I remained where I was I might see something. I was positioned on the corner side of the hotel building. I had a good view of the side entrance and also of the cars arriving. Well, all of the sudden 3 o’clock came and I was sure she was just arriving late. I couldn’t have missed her—I mean, I was keeping watch like a hawk! But I knew just incase I was wrong I had to get back to the ballroom and to my seat.

The room was filled passed capacity. As I fought the crowd to get to my seat, Joe Motes (the convention coordinator) was on stage announcing Kate's arrival. I had barley made it in time! It turned out Kate came through the front entrance! I didn’t have time to be angry with my self though because two minutes later Kate was walking on stage to a thunderous applause. I couldn’t really tell you what I was thinking at that exact moment. I was just in awe. There she was—Kate Mulgrew! As Tim Hagan once put it on his faithful encounter, “There is a God”. Kate looked stunning. The pictures really don’t do her justice. And now every time I watch Voyager I can’t help but think of how great she looks in person. I was thinking to myself—wow, I can not believe it’s actually her! Then she spoke. That voice. That voice that had become so very familiar and enduring these past couple of years. I wasn’t aware I would have that reaction just from hearing her voice, but all of the sudden Kate was more tangible.

I won’t even try to tell you all of what Kate said—that’s what the transcript is for. I do remember one of the fist things she talked about was in reference to what’s been going on with terrorism and Osama Bin Laden. She said that we need to get on a plane, go out to dinner, and dance in the streets. Kate then went on to tell us about Voyager and her role as Captain Janeway. She told the infamous spitball story with Tim Russ. One thing that I really didn’t expect from Kate was her sense of humor. She was extremely funny and not just with telling the behind the scene stories—while answering questions and interacting with the audience too. Her comedic timing was excellent! She really did have us in stitches!

So after giving the usual convention talk, Kate began to take questions from the audience. I had my question prepared. I was going to inquire about her new role in “Tea at Five” to give her an opportunity to tell us about it. When she first began to take questions I totally chickened out and didn’t raise my hand. But after a few questions I began to raise my hand. She had taken a few questions from one side of the room and was starting to look out towards the other parts of the audience. She called on a lady who asked her if she could create a role for herself what would it be. I had a sinking feeling—I knew what she was going to say—“Tea at Five”. My mind was racing to come up with another question. I didn’t want to ask one of the usual questions but I just couldn’t come up with anything. I was with my dad and I told him that I’d just ask her “what was your favorite episode.” He told me it wasn’t a very good question. I knew that, but I really wanted to ask her something and I just couldn’t come up with anything better. Just as I made my mind up that it would be the question I would ask a light bulb went on—that’s it! When I was home weeks earlier, pondering the different questions to ask I thought of asking about Seven of Nine being introduced to the show and the effect it had. I had no time to work out exactly how I was going to word it because as quickly as I thought of it Kate was finishing up with her answer to the last question. I was going to have to wing it—I raised my hand and she called on me! I got this part recorded on my cassette tape:

Kate: Yes Ma’am. Yes.

Me: Umm, when they introduced Seven of Nine to the show, do you think the whole relationship they kind of created with her and Janeway, do you feel it sort of interfered with Janeway’s relationships like with the Doctor or Belanna?

Kate: What’s your name?

Me: Heather

Kate: How old are you?

Me: Just turned 18.

Kate: You’re pretty.

Me: Thank you.

Kate: Umm, she wants to know...my husband's going- (laughter from the audience--Kate mimics Tim shaking her head). She wants to know if when they brought Seven of Nine on the show, if I felt that that, uh, that relationship between Seven of Nine and Janeway interfered or usurped the other relationships with the other senior staff. Right? Absolutely I felt that way. However, you know, the numbers went up. And it's a numbers game baby. Do you know that? But of course I felt it and I felt it profoundly. It’s an ensemble show. That’s what makes it such a good one, right. You’re looking at all nine of these people struggling. You want to see what their interpersonal relationships are like. You want to see them evolve. It’s very hard when that stops and a great deal of concentration was given to one and not to the others. But I understood from a business point of view what they were about. And it settled down, I think, in the last two seasons.

So it turned out that I did ask a good thought-provoking question after all. And Kate calling me pretty has to be the best compliment of my life—due to the fact it came from her. I think she is gorgeous!

Kate went on to answer more questions and she brought Tim (her husband) up on stage. They interact so well together! You can see that they love each other a great deal, and they delighted in making us laugh. Tim spoke of how they met and when he got to the part about Kate getting the role in Voyager and the end of their relationship Kate was behind him mouthing to the audience “He’s lying.” When Tim caught on, he retorted with “Dammit you’re not the Captain when I’m around!” It was all extremely funny!

Go read the transcript to get the full effect of it and most of all if you are able to see Kate at a convention then definitely go—you won’t regret it! The main thing, and also the most important thing, I took from the convention was finding out what a good-hearted person Kate really is. I think getting to watch her speak for over an hour and seeing her interact with the audience members, I was able to get a sense of the kind of person she is. Finding out that someone you have respected and admired for a long time is truly worthy of respect and admiration makes it all worth it.

By: Heather Llerandi
(Karma1461@aol.com)