Enterprising Folk Lay Course For ‘Spokane Trek’

Two alien creatures and a god will be in Spokane on Sunday.

One alien is a Ferengi, and the other’s a barfly, an ugly Norm-type character. The god is Apollo.

These “Star Trek” characters will beam down for yet another gathering here for fans of the many Trek movies and TV series.

Sunday’s event will feature Aron Eisenberg, who plays Nog on “Deep Space Nine”; Mark Allen Shepherd, Morn on “DS9”; and Michael Forest, who played the god Apollo on the original “Star Trek” series.

Each star will speak for about an hour and mingle and sign autographs while not on stage. The stars will not appear in costume, since actors cannot leave the set in makeup.

The show will run from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Cavanaugh’s Inn at the Park.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Star Trek Universe, perhaps some explanation is in order. Nog is a Ferengi, a race with extremely large heads, prominent teeth, ears that look large enough to receive a radio signal from Mars and a penchant for profit.

Morn is a large alien of unspecified origin, whose long, jowled face looks vaguely like that of a St. Bernard. He can regularly be found planted on a stool in Quark’s bar, and he has yet to utter a word. The question is, will he ever?

Shepherd will only say that his character will play a part in the wedding ceremony between Worf and Dax, which itself is notable since it will be the first time two leads on a Star Trek show marry. Shepherd also hints that Morn will have a hand in getting the station back from the Dominion.

The 36-year-old actor first appeared in the pilot episode, but only as an extra. The producers, however, called him their favorite alien and kept him on. His character was later named Morn, an anagram of Norm from “Cheers.”

Shepherd says he loves working on the show and traveling around the country meeting fans.

Aron Eisenberg says he was a fan of the original “Star Trek,” which he watched with his father, but the 28-year-old never got into “The Next Generation” series. When he was called to audition for his role in “DS9,” he wasn’t sure how to act like a Ferengi.

“I didn’t know what the character was,” says Eisenberg. He was given a tape of a “Next Generation” episode featuring the Ferengi. Eisenberg says his first reaction was “Oh my God, I have to act like this in front of all these people?”

Eisenberg says he loves playing Nog, calling the character his “alter ego.” Nog will be promoted to ensign this season, making him the first Ferengi in Starfleet.

Eisenberg says he prefers playing Nog the ensign rather than the “precocious Nog,” who was always getting into trouble. “You can only go so far with that,” he says. “I’d much rather have him as the ensign.

“He’s a blast. I’m sad that someday I won’t play him anymore,” says Eisenberg, referring to the inevitable end of the show.

Being a character on a Star Trek show is sometimes difficult. During the taping of one episode, Eisenberg had to say the line “I know someone who can tell us what self-sealing stem bolts are.”

“I had all those teeth and S’s,” says Eisenberg. “It took me 19 takes to get that line.”

Eisenberg is also reluctant to give away the plot of future episodes, but will say that it takes six shows for the Federation to reclaim the station from the Dominion invaders. Also, keep your eyes open for Nog performing the Ferengi love dance with Kira during Dax and Worf’s wedding.

Eisenberg did confirm that one of the characters will be killed off, but wouldn’t say who. Whoever it is, apparently it won’t happen right away. Fans will just have to wait and see.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: TREKKERS “Spokane Trek” will run from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday at Cavanaugh’s Inn at the Park. Please see Page 8 for details.