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."
