Welcome To the Cedar Grove

From The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have.

The eye is the lamp of the body.
If your eye is sound, your whole body
Will be full of light.
--Jesus

The mask worn after the face has grown becomes a wall that rubs and cuts.

Here in Vegas, at the convention surrounded by people who are fans, and people who are actors, the question becomes a sharp one in my mind. How many of us, as fans, (and I include myself in this at the present time), wear a different face at places and events like these, and how many of us remain genuine.

I remember my very first convention – no not a Star Trek convention, not even recently, but a long time ago, when the idea of conventions was still young and not old and somewhat tired as it seems to be now. The convention was for an old TV show (which I still think has merit today), called Robin of Sherwood. It was a relatively small event as far as conventions these days go; just a couple of rooms in the hotel, and two or three actors from the show. They involved meet and greet sessions around a table in the evening before the first full day, a Q&A on the first full day of the convention, a few workshops of various things related to the show, and then an evening dinner (again with the actors present and scattered around the tables) with entertainment such as costume parades, dances, etc. – not so different, I suppose, to the evolution that has happened with 'modern' conventions. At that first convention, I was lucky enough to meet with Michael Praed, Mark Ryan, Clive Mantle and Judy Trott; to listen to them talk about the show and their other acting experiences, and to take part in a sword-fighting workshop with Mark, (who is/was at that time a swordmaster in his own right). In the evening I took part in the performance of the 'candle dance' as featured on the show itself, and then enjoyed dinner and drinks with all the other attendees and guests. It was an exciting time. I was young and fearless then.

Then came a long break in which I got older and more inhibited… and met Mir, who reintroduced me to the convention scene (and in many ways is still doing so), with the Star Trek conventions, run by Creation Entertainment. (We won't go into their organizational skills right now).

My first convention with Mir, I was terrified – nervous, a shrinking violet at the thought of meeting these people who portrayed the characters I saw on screen. I don't know why. I wasn't before, and I'm certainly not so bad now, after many years of convention going. Sure, I get a little nervous, but it's more in a… respectful kind of way. Actors are people too, you know, and they have feelings and I think I'm more nervous for them than of them; having to be subjected to the kind of behaviour of some of the fans. You might say that 'it goes with the territory' but then, why should it. As a teacher I'm not constantly given other people's children to spend the day with, or expected to impart wisdom or exude it from the pours of my skin. Why should an actor be subjected to a kind of intrusive adoration just because of a character they once played on television? We can admire them for a job well done, recognise them for their role, as I am often recognised in the streets and shopping malls of my home town by my former (and current) students, but to idolise them, fawn over them, and worse...?

But it happens, and to deal with it many of them don certain masks, for protection against that... I've seen it happen, I've seen the difference it makes in people, and it's not always – rarely is, in fact – a pleasant thing to see. It often makes them seem foolish, out of control, builds a bad reputation... and that is a very sad thing.