Interview with Teresa Noon and Rick Sim on Star Trek Live Review

Greetings, my friends. This is Mike the Birdman

Dodd here for This Week in Geek .net's Future

Imperfect brought to you by SFI .org Starfleet,

the world's largest Star Trek online fan club.

I am here at the Ontario Science Centre, located

in the lovely city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

And I'm actually here to check out something

remarkably cool. They're doing something here

until September 3rd called Star Trek Live. And

that's a really cool interactive live. stage

event they're going to be doing to showcase to

children rather some of the science that you

see in the Star Trek television show and I think

this is more relevant now than it ever has been

simply because now with the Mars Curiosity rover

landing last week the most advanced scientific

vehicle we currently have in the solar system

exploring a different planet definitely opens

up new possibilities as to what we can expect

from the space sciences with hopefully NASA getting

more funding and everything else with the seven

minutes of tear that you know the Mars Rover

didn't blow up or anything but it's going to

be tremendously cool so what we're going to do

is we're going to get a chance to talk with some

of the actors and actresses that are in the live

stage show Then after that we're going to do

a review of the show itself to see what we actually

did learn from a perspective of a Scientist,

which is actually kind of neat because I actually

have my wife here with me Blair she actually

has a background in geography and geology So

I don't know maybe they'll touch on something

cool. You know alien planets geography is the

same everywhere more or less I don't know if

that's an ignorant statement or not. I really,

really hope not. Now, the thing is, my wife is

actually approaching this from the aspect that

she is not a Star Trek fan. So she's going to

be approaching this from a pure scientific angle.

So it'll be interesting to see whether the science

gets lost in the science fiction. But I think

the Ontario Science Centre will do a pretty good

job. Now, this is actually not the first time

we've actually been here. We came here last year,

I think, to do Harry Potter, if I'm not mistaken.

And before that, when me and my wife first got

together, actually one of our first dates was

here at the Ontario Science Centre. We actually

went to see... I forget what it was called precisely,

but it was about Marvel. showing how the different

superpowers work with Magneto, Iceman, Ironman.

Actually, it lifted a car over my head using

hydraulics, which was pretty kick -ass. And I

was here with Steve Snowball Siller, who was

my wingman for this particular event. So like

I said, guys, we're going to go check out the

show. And when we come back, we'll let you know

what the actors think of portraying science in

a learning environment. So we'll be back, guys,

right here on Future Imperfect brought to you

by SFI .org Starfleet, the world's largest Star

Trek online fan club. Space, the final frontier.

Welcome to Starfleet Academy and our bold new

mission to explore strange new worlds, to seek

out new life and new civilizations, to boldly

go where no one has gone before. Greetings, cadets,

and welcome to Starfleet Academy. Hey guys, this

is Birdman here once again at the Ontario Science

Centre, and I just had a chance to check out

Star Trek Live. This is actually a really, really

cool kind of stage, especially if you have younger

children and you're trying to get them into the

whole Star Trek experience. This is probably

a pretty good starter. I don't recommend you,

you know, jump them in. That's a encounter at

Farpoint, but this is probably something you

guys should check out. So I'm here with two of

the actors in the show. I'm here with... Teresa

Noon. and Rick Sim. And these guys guide a auditorium

full of Starfleet Academy cadets as they basically

encounter a Romulan from the 26th century, very

much based upon the 2009 J .J. Abrams film. The

ship very much looks like the Nerada, which is

kind of cool. So it's kind of an interesting

kind of stage experience. So I want to talk to

Teresa first here. So what do you get out of

the show? Because your character is from the

26th century and you're not exactly human. Indeed,

I am not at all human. I am a Vulcan from 2650.

I am a temporal agent and I've come back to help

Sean Christopher, who is the commander in charge

of the new Starfleet cadets, save the world from

the Romulan who is invading. Now, I noticed that

you threw a lot of terminology in there, such

as temporal stuff, and when I first saw the show,

I was a little skeptical, because I was actually

going to ask you, do the words temporal prime

directive mean anything to you? And we were talking

just before we recorded the interview, and it

seems like you guys have all the canonical issues

pretty much nailed down pad. Absolutely. I've

been touring this show since 2010 and I have

met people who have a far greater grasp on the

Star Trek universe than I do and I need to know

my stuff. I've done my research, I've watched

the television program, I've watched the movies

and I need to be able to answer the questions

because I will get nailed if I don't know the

answer. So what's it like to perform this for

a Canadian audience especially here in Toronto

for the Ontario Science Centre because you get

a lot of kids coming through here whose first

experience with Star Trek might be the Abrams

or maybe Enterprise because that came out or

I think that series ended back in 2004. It's

an amazing experience here because we are in

the Science Center and because there is the educational

aspect to the show, you get the kids that are

learning as well as having fun. So it is a perfect

relationship for a venue and the show to have

and the excitement that we get from these kids

is really what drives the show and then the laughter

from the adults who get all the truck jokes.

Now, I'm going to introduce the other actor for

this, and he plays the Starfleet Commander who

basically introduces us to all the wonderfulness

that Starfleet Academy will eventually become.

And he plays Commander, what was it, Sean Christopher?

Yes, yeah, Commander Sean Christopher. So what

do you get out of the experience being basically

the gateway for these kids to entertain them

for a full 30 minutes? Well, I think I'm a bit

lucky because I get to actually show a lot of

my emotions. So I can really share in their excitement

and have a lot of fun with them. And each time

we encounter a difficulty, I really get to live

it every single time. And we have an amazing

time each and every show here. So how big of

a Star Trek nerd are you? Well, I've also been

doing the show since 2010. And in that time,

I can tell you that I think I've watched every

single episode. Wow, even I haven't accomplished

that. I'm having a hell of a time going through

the original series, though. Voyager and DS9

for life. Because Captain Cisco is crazy. So

during your time with the show, what is probably

the coolest moment that you've had maybe with

a kind of fan or maybe just like a super Trekkie

maybe after the show? Well, we get to meet a

lot of the audience members after the show. And

we do a meet and greet every day here at the

Ontario Science Centre. And I think some of the

most amazing things that have happened. you know,

as I'll meet parents who will introduce me to

their children who have names of Star Trek characters.

And I find that absolutely amazing that, you

know, people are so enthralled with all of this

that it really is their lives, you know. So what

names have you in character? Because I'm really

hoping somebody hasn't named their kid Data.

We had a Talana at one of the meet and greets,

yeah. Oh, wow. And yesterday we actually had

a Sean Christopher. How's that? So with you guys

traveling on the road, what's it like just to

kind of live and breathe this stuff every single

day? It's an adventure. It absolutely is. Because

it is an interactive show, it changes every time

we do this. And when we've toured all across

North America, you get a different vibe no matter

what state you're in. And then when you're back

in Canada, because there is the American element

to the show, Canadians really do embrace that

still, because San Francisco is where the start

of it was. But it's a different vibe everywhere

you go. And I think that's what keeps it fresh

for us too. Alright guys so as my final question

as we're just beginning to wrap this up what

lessons and science do you hope that that these

kids walk away from from Experiencing this like

30 minutes on kind of stage show Well, we want

them to you know gain all the all the education

and insight into science that we provide but

and also some excitement about the Star Trek

universe because that's really cool as well So

I think ultimately we hope that they leave of

educated and excited about Star Trek Actually

just kind of thought of one final question I

find it kind of topical that at the end of the

show spoiler guys that the person the core Mentions,

they'll be the first person to walk on Mars little

fortuitous that the Mars Rover landed this past

week And so what do you guys think about that?

I mean just the future of space exploration like

do you think? Where do you think we're gonna

be in five to ten years? You know, I think that

we're going to be... I think we're moving on

a good path. I think it's kind of unfortunate

that the shuttle program, we kind of lost that

last year. So I think it's really exciting that

this year, only a year later, we're able to land

on Mars. And I think there are new things on

the horizon. I think that the rover on Mars now

will gather a lot of data and maybe spark some

new projects. And who knows what will happen

10 years from now. Absolutely, it's been a really

exciting year for science with the Mars Rover,

the Higgs boson. It's hopefully going to be an

interesting year providing the world doesn't

end in the end of the year, which, you know,

who believes that crazy stuff? But anyway guys,

like I said, that's my interview from the Ontario

Science Centre with these two wonderful people

from Star Trek The Experience. I hope you guys

will come and check this out. This runs until

September 3rd, if I'm not mistaken, right? So

guys, be sure to come check this out. I'll be

having more thoughts after this. So we're going

to take a small break and listen to our sponsors

of SFI .org Starfleet, the world's largest Star

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Welcome back to Future Imperfect. Big thanks

to the Ontario Science Centre and the cast and

crew of Star Trek Live. Now as of this recording,

you got about a week left if you want to check

this out at the Ontario Science Centre. This

is definitely something meant for the younger

fans of Star Trek. Not saying that us older fans

won't have a few chuckles along the way. I think

what I was most impressive, like I said, I was

going to give my reviews of this show, is the

fact that they do try and be as canonical as

possible because of people like me saying, Hey,

have you heard of the temporal prime directive?

There's going to be us. people who like to nitpick

it. And I like the fact that they do try and

get people really involved in the show, and specifically

during the last act of the show, if you happen

to be chosen by them, you really do play a rather

large part in how the story unfolds, and it takes

about a half hour for this thing to all come

together. And I gotta say, it's pretty fun, especially

when they start throwing tribbles out at you.

I'm not gonna say... context of how this all

happens, but It's a lot of fun and it's nice

to see Star Trek kind of coming back into the

public eye again, especially with the new movie

coming out next year, obviously with this podcast

going on, and with Paramount releasing the Star

Trek The Next Generation Blu -rays most recently.

It's a good time to be a Trek fan. I'm really

glad to see, like I said, shows like this and

the fact that it does try to play up some of

the science. Now, I know I did say in the beginning

of the episode, the Mars Rover landed last week.

Well, at the time it did, so this is obviously

a couple of weeks later as some are starting

to wind down. But I do encourage you, if you

guys do live in and around Toronto or if you're

planning a day trip to Toronto, I really do recommend

you go check out the Ontario Science Centre.

There's a lot there to do, not just for kids,

but also for adults. I remember when me and Snowball

went there a couple of years ago, we actually

got our licenses to be ham radio. Operators which

was really cool during one of the exhibits there

I don't know how valid that is but that is still

pretty cool that we got a chance to do that and

there's always a fun ton of like interactive

Exhibits and stuff you didn't know and like I

said just the fact that they do have something

Like this there that really does make me happy

just the fact that hey Star Trek, it's there,

people are learning about it, people are getting

into it, and, you know, the Gene Roddenberry

dream lives on. And especially with space in

everyone's mind right now, I mean, as of this

recording, we just lost Neil Armstrong, the first

man on the moon who just recently passed away.

I really hope more people are looking to the

stars and will go to events like this and maybe

get inspired to do something. Like this, but

anyway guys that's pretty much gonna do it for

us here on future and perfect coming up on the

next show Which would be in just a couple of

weeks. We're gonna be talking about some of the

aliens of Star Trek though We're gonna look at

them as a whole and you know talk about some

of the more popular species But some of the less

popular ones too And I also have a really cool

review of from the replicator our good friends

over at escape studio sent me a really cool phaser

prop And let's just say this thing could easily

go on screen. That is how realistic and cool

this thing is. But I'll tell you guys more about

that when we go from the replicator. So anyway,

for Future Imperfect on ThisWeekendGeek .net,

I've been Mike the Birdman Dodd saying, live

long and prosper.