Battlestar Galactica Star Richard Hatch Ensured First Lake Charles Sci Fi Convention's Success

"I like aliens just as much as anybody else," actor/director/lecturer/ teacher/relationship coach Richard Hatch told us, in closing his last presentation on Battlestar Galactica's second incarnation at Condulac, Lake Charles' first science fiction fan convention, that was held at the Enos Derbonne Recreational Center on June 13 and 14. "But I think that the series was trying to do something deeper than the 'alien of the week' formula allows." Hatch, the only member of the cast of Battlestar Galactica mach II (playing Tom Zarek) to have been a member of the cast of the original 1978 series (playing Captain Apollo), spoke about his acting career, which stretches from 1970's-era appearances on "All My Children" and "The Streets of San Francisco," through 1980s appearances on "The Love Boat," "Dynasty," and "Murder She Wrote," to 1990s roles on "Baywatch," and the two Battlestar series, on which he played very different roles, both of which characters he feels were heroes.

His earlier character, Captain Apollo, who Hatch played for 22 episodes in 1978 and 1979 in the original Battlestar Galactica series, "was a traditional hero," Hatch said. "He was a loyal son, straightforward, compassionate, operating by the book, honorable, with a lot of heart. He was a natural leader," Hatch went on, correcting me for considering his two Battlestar characters as fundamentally different as light and darkness. "But Tom Zarek was also a hero," Hatch said firmly about the more complex character he portrayed for 22 episodes over five years during the reimagined Battlestar series. "He was a fallen idealist who fought for human rights, and ultimately paid with 25 years in prison for his pains. Then he was reborn on the Galactica, where he worked his way up the political ladder in order to continue to fight the good fight," Hatch explained. "But he was thwarted - elections were rigged, and his opponents were totally unwilling to be fair." "Ultimately, the reimagined Battlestar Galactica was about human beings who were flawed, had major issues to deal with, and in the post- 911 scenario were all struggling to survive, while the leadership operated from fear, rigged elections, suspended democracy, in fact, acted out many of the issues we were struggling with and dealing with in the real world," Hatch concluded. "It was a show with greater complexity than the earlier series, because the studios had decided that audiences would actually come along for the drama, for the shades of gray, instead of the black and white, good versus evil of the 1970s show," Hatch stated. Unquestionably, the reimagined series had a loyal following, which petitioned the producers to keep the franchise going, even after the decision had been made to bring the show to a close earlier this year.

During his numerous appearances at Condulac, Hatch signed photos and took photos with fans, spoke to groups and individuals movingly about the craft of acting, and showed some trailers and show reels for an as-yet unmade sci fi series he's written, tentatively titled "War On Magellan." In each of his Condulac appearances, and in public and private talks on subjects ranging from the spiritual component of acting, to the need to work through your fears, in order to reach the central core of meaning in anything you do, to an assessment of Hollywood's effect on public opinion, and its adaptation to changes in social and political climates, Hatch proved that he is far more than another pretty face. In an animated and intense acting workshop, Hatch closed out his Condulac appearance down to the wire, racing out to catch his plane, this time without benefit of a helicopter ride.

Hatch wasn't the only attraction at Condulac. To open the convention, Hatch was helicoptered in to the Recreation Center's sports field, where he participated in a ceremony with costumed clone troopers from Louisiana's Bast Alpha Garrison, a member group of the International Star Wars 501st Legion, "The World's Definitive Imperial Costuming Organization." The 501sts members made the trip to Lake Charles to wear and discuss their costumes, to mingle with other costumed groups and individuals, and to spread interest in celebrating the Star Wars movies by making, improving, and wearing costumes, while supporting their communities with charitable and volunteer work. During the con, Legionaires showed off their shiny or dulled white or black costumes and their varied methods of battle, and discussed several techniques for making standard costumes more realistic (i.e., more like those worn in the Star Wars movies). The elaborate and detailed work involved in making and modifying costume pieces was of interest to many of the con's attendees, who took photos with costumed characters such as Anakin Skywalker, among others, as a fundraising activity.

One costumed fan, an engineer who'd travelled west with the Legion, told me that he wasn't yet eligible to become a member of the 501st, because his costumes weren't up to the standard required for admission. As I admired both costumes he wore to the con, I was impressed to learn that his high standard for costuming was still considered to be in the newbie stage. He was scary on Sunday, wafting around noiselessly in his Rorschach trenchcoat, fedora, and gauze facemask, as a character from The Watchman superheroes comic books (available from Paper Heroes, one of the supporters and dealers at the con), and pretty much in character throughout the day. Which was both believable and hard to take. More info about joining the Legion, or requesting their appearance at a charitable event is available from www.501st.com.

I always find it a bit jarring when I see that the Society for Creative Anachronism's throwback to medieval recreation sits comfortably alongside the futurists of the Star Wars, Star Trek, and Battlestar Galactica costumers. Of course I'm a very recent convert to the faith and mysteries of the sci fi fan convention scene, so I'm sure I'll get used to it with a little more contact. At Condulac, costumed battling medievalists from SCA and from Amtgard, Province of Crimson Moon, a medieval and fantasy group, exhibited their costumes and battled on the field outside the convention building. Inside in the dealers and exhibit portion of the Rec Center's gym, I watched someone painstakingly crimping metal rings into chainmail, and hefted the 40+ pounds of a beautifully welded medieval helmet. When I commented that the costumes looked heavy and hot for Louisiana's climate, both Amtgard and SCA members rushed to assure me that despite the weight of the armor, the weapons themselves are relatively light, are safe objects with which to bash opponents, and are easy to handle. Well I handled one and am only partially convinced. You can join the Amtgard group on Sundays at 2:00 p.m. at the Westlake softball complex on Harrison Street. The SCA often practices battle at Lock Park in Lake Charles on weekends as well.

If real science was your bag, Condulac offered Dr. Sandra Leder from NASA, who spoke about education in space exploration and her annual space camp, now in its 20th year at McNeese; Roger Erickson of the National Weather Service and KPLC-TV's Jeff Jumper talked hurricane science, and ULL's Cajunbot Labs' self-propelled robotic vehicle was exhibited, explained, and shown in action in several film clips from the 2007 D.A.R.P.A. challenge for which it was built. Paranormal science? Two groups of paranormal investigators offered their services to track down and dismiss hauntings in public and private places. And author Denise Roper compared J.R.R. Tolkien's Ring books with J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter series.

For a first effort, Lake Charles' own sci fi convention is an official success, breaking even on its modest costs by midday on Saturday, with more than 200 attending the two-day event produced by the Southwest Louisiana Science Education Foundation Inc., headed up by KVHP staffer Justin Toney. Toney, who made all the announcements in his mellifluous baritone announcer's voice, appeared, finally, in his custom-made Star Trek costume, to do verbal battle with Star Wars- and Battlestar Galactica-costumed friends over the competing merits of the big three of science fiction film and television series' fandom. In friendly debate, the three extolled their favorite shows, ending in a three-way draw for supremacy. At least they all lived to do battle again in a future year. With modest support from the Arts & Humanities Council, Cameron State Bank, Performance Helicopters, and Buch Printing Co., Condulac laid the foundation for annual repeats. I, for one, will be looking forward to a reprise all year.