Day 2 of the con kicked off with the iconic Walter Koenig. At 81, he is as astute and funny as ever. I’ve seen him at cons for the past 20 years and watched him evolve over time. He went through a dark period but seems to have come to terms with his demons. Someone asked if there was something more he would have liked his character Chekov to achieve. “To make Chekov real,” he replied, then said he had finally attained that goal in the fan-produced StarTrek New Voyages episode, “To Serve All His Days” which allowed the character his “final send-off.”

There were more stars and guest stars than I can name without losing your attention. Conner Trinneer and Dominic Keating we’re hilarious, as we’re the Voyager panel.

One thing many of the actors talked about was how they got the job. They told about the audition process, and it’s not for the faint of heart! Each of them threw their entire acting presence into those short readings. Some dressed the part; some assumed voices. You’ve all heard of flash fiction; this is flash performance.

A few words of wisdom about acting:

Think in character. Understand their needs, wants, and the stakes they have in their situation.

The alien costumes and makeup do the acting for you. The character emerges from it’s facade.

Trust the words and listen.

There are no bad actors: only actors and non-actors. If you are an actor, you have no choice but to act.

Acting is a con game, the irresistible urge to pretend in public.

This is why I come to these conventions, to peek behind the scenes and learn the secrets of the story tellers.

After the show, we had our gala dinner at the Voodoo Lounge on the 50th floor. It makes me dizzy but the city is beautiful.