The Daily Telegraph
(Sydney, Australia)
8 May 2000
Just Wild about Xena
by KAY HARVEY
Haaaattittoooooii-oh!! Recognise that war cry? It's from Xena, Warrior - Princess. As played by Lucy Lawless, Xena inspires awe, lust and loyalty. Fans adore her, they play? her for monthly Xena meetings and much more. They dress like Xena characters, brandish swords and act out episodes on stage in front of a live audience. It's amazing a TV show could bring out all this," says Amada Sullivan, the 20-something president of the Xena fan-club's Minnesota chapter. The club claims to be the only one the US whose following - 50 members and growing - actually holds a regular, face to face meeting. Most other clubs connect on line.
And while most Xena clubs are built around hero worship for one of the series characters, Minnesota devotees are stars of their own show. This concept is all about the fans," says club past President James? Gottfried, 30, a graphic designer who built the club's Xenaversity site (xenaversity.com) The basis of our group, from the start, was we want to get together. We share our artwork, writing and video? creations. Any event we go to we make into a blast." In recent weeks, they've perfected costumes and choreography for a production of Bittersuite, a musical revival of a favourite Xena episode.
In weekly practices, they clank plastic swords, march in unison and sing such lyrics as: "Forgive those who harm you, do good to those you hate." Lisa Linderholm, a recent import from Chicago, plays Xena. The amateur costume designer can sing, too. She even looks like a shorter version of towering series star Lawless. "It's a great opportunity for club members to express their natural talents," says Linderholm of the production members hope to repeat at sci fi and Xena conventions. Powerful themes that teach life lessons attract these fans to Xena, Warrior Princess, they say. So do the show's human relationships and use of archetypal characters derived from Greek mythology.
"The show gives us a good morality play, and we've lacked that", Dayna Jean Welter, a singer and actress in her real life, too. "Like when death happens, It's not taken lightly. It's always dealt with as a significant event." Archetypes In the show allow producers to cloud hints that Xena and her best friend, Gabrielle, might be lesbians. "Are they lovers or not?" Welter asks.
"That's the nice thing about archetypal characters. People can perceive them as they want to perceive them." Club members include a teenager, university students, adult singles and married folks, some with young children. The oldest member is 42-year-old DeAnn Sullivan, an avid collector of Xena memorabilia. The club started two years ago when founders Bev Gores and Lizzy Smith met online and began inviting others to start up meetings in their homes. "When I first came here. It was like, wow!" says Aimee Fielder.
"Other people are as into this as I am." When Fielder got a Gabrielle T-shirt she wore it for a week. Teresa Fehn, a newcomer at club meetings, admits to viewing all of the 100-plus episodes of the series. At club parties, members play games with Xena themes and sing karaoke. "We dress in costume any chance we get," says Amada Sullivan. They also run a booth at the Gay Pride festival, clear litter from a stretch of highway and collect toys for children during the holidays. Just like the show characters, Gottfried says: "We take a stand on whatever we think is right."
* Many thanks to Mark for the transcript *