Many thanks to Cat for the scan

Pasadena Star News

May 6, 2001

Devotees of Xena gather:

4,000 of show's ardent fans jam convention centerBy Lisa Faught, Staff Writer PASADENA - It took three months of hammering thin sheets of copper to get the perfect fit for her Xena costume.
Nancy Lorenz, 21, of Australia spends her spare time crafting outfits from the cult television show "Xena: Warrior Princess." Her hand-sewn costumes include a busty pink gossamer number for goddess Aphrodite and a sleek warrior outfit for villain, Alti. But the Xena costume is the star of her wardrobe.

"It's heavy and it hurts and it chafes a bit, but it's worth it," Lorenz said. "Some people go skiing, I hang out with with Xena fans."

About 4,000 diehard Xena fans turned out for The Official Xena Warrior Princess Convention at the Pasadena Conference Center on Saturday. The convention continues today. The television series, in its sixth season, has spawned a generation of hardcore fans, many of whom dress up as their favorite character from the show.

Julie Dontje, 29, of Massachusetts wore a silky white dress with a golden corset, inspired from when Callisto turned into an angel during two episodes "Fallen Angel" and "Seeds of Faith." She got hooked after watching the tough ladies in scanty outfits battling against evil.
"It was my guilty pleasure when my husband was asleep," Dontje said.

Late in the afternoon, Claire Stansfield, who plays the villain Alti, took the stage to divulge secrets about her rivalry with Xena and an upcoming episode that reveals the root of her evil.
"I learned a lot from Alti," Stansfield said. "Alti is the first character I completely embraced."
But the excitement was only building for an appearance from the stars of the show, Lucy Lawless, who plays Xena and Renee O'Connor, who plays her sidekick, Gabrielle. The two will take the stage together for the first time at a convention today.


Their relationship on the show has inspired a genre of fan fiction, with plots speculating about their lives behind the scenes. Carole Giorgio, of Texas has written her share of stories about the women, one of which will be published. "They're two strong women that have a strong bond with each other they're soul mates," Giorgio said. "There's a lot of subtext in Xena. A lot of people think they're more than just friends. It gives us a show to watch where we see women interacting with each other."


The throngs of fans spent the day picking up deals on Xena memorabilia, including Xena T-shirts reading "Sometimes the best man for the job is a woman," autographed stills from the show and replicas of the weaponry.

"You can feel exactly the weight of Xena's sword," said one woman who works for Creation Entertainment, which sells copies of props from the show. "When she's swinging the sword in the opening sequence, hey, you don't mess with Lucy Lawless."


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