Rosemary Jones with the Seattle branch of the Examiner took some time this holiday season to interview two of our original “Where No Man Has Gone Before” cast members. Nicholas Schell and Cheryl Platz reminisce about favorite suggestions, venues, and life in a Starfleet uniform.
What’s the easiest or hardest part of playing those iconic 1960s characters?
Platz: There’s very little easy about the Original Series uniforms, actually. It’s amazing how short those skirts were, even then! The official term for TOS female crew uniforms was “skant,” which is oddly appropriate. But I’m strangely proud to wear the crew uniform.Schell: The captain’s log at the beginning of most episodes. It’s difficult not to plan when you know you are going to make the first offer. I have to concentrate on clearing my mind and just start talking. Since that is Kirk’s MO in a nutshell, everything after that point is easier.
Platz: The most challenging part of these performances is combining the suggestions with all that we know about how our characters and their peers acted in the existing series. As much as possible, we try to honor the canon, watching and re-watching episodes to keep our memories fresh. In this set of performances, I’m playing the helmswoman, so I’ve been watching any episode I can find to study Sulu’s technique and vocabulary.
To read the whole article on examiner.com, click here.
“Where No Man Has Gone Before” will be performing their hit improvised Star Trek parody at Theatre Off Jackson in Seattle Thursday Jan 8 (Tonight!) through Sunday January 11, 2015. Tickets are $15 online or $18 at the door (if available.) To buy tickets, click here.
