This Is Not Your Captain Speaking

Greetings! My name is Julia, and I play Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy in this year's Seattle Outdoor Star Trek.

Hello Earth productions' cast and crew have been hard at work on "This Side of Paradise", the classic Star Trek episode scheduled for July 23 and 24, 30 and 31, and August 6 and 7 in Dr. Blanche Lavizzo Park in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. See the park on a map here.

Over the next three weeks, I will be sharing some of the triumphs and trials of the rehearsal process.

Delving into episodes from Roddenberry's original series is an exciting challenge for an actor, because there are some interesting thematic statements and ambiguities, a rich character background, and an entire universe unlike our own to consider. At the same time, when a series has a passionate following, there's a pressure to get the details right and you need a clear, well-thought-out vision to justify your interpretation. And it's a world that I had very little familiarity with before this summer. It's like performing Shakespeare for a group of Elizabethan-focused English Doctorates. And you're a native Russian speaker.

Fortunately, Hello Earth productions is nothing if not thorough. In addition to my outside perspective, we have, through a very dedicated dramaturg, obtained a few transmissions from the future, reflecting the actual perspectives of the crew of the Starship Enterprise regarding the incident on Omicron Ceti Three that formed the basis for the episode. These guest blogs will be clearly marked, and will hopefully provide background information to enhance your understanding and enjoyment of the show. It has certainly helped me enormously!

Live long and prosper,
Julia