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Thursday, July 8, 2010

Busy Chase Masterson Still Honors Her Trek Roots

Chase Masterson is a lot of things, but she isn't just the Dabo girl from "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine."

The actress, who played a mysterious lounge singer in "Yesterday Was a Lie," has been keeping a lock as a favorite among Star Trek fans, and is now the new face of The Federation, the Star Trek fan club originally known as the International Federation of Trekkers.

The group, the only one officially sanctioned by late "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry, has been run by Russ Haslage since the mid-1980s. Although the club has had a part in other Star Trek projects -- like trying to get George Takei a series based on the USS Excelsior -- Haslage has spent recent months expanding its presence online with the acquisition earlier this year of TrekUnited, and the rebranding of the club with new interactive features, including a Facebook-like app called Spacebook, and others.

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"Russ contacted me earlier this year and asked me, 'How would you like to be our new Federation girl,'" Masterson told Alpha Waves Radio in an episode set to air July 8. "That is a cool idea, and then I realized as I looked more into what they were doing ... there is much beauty here, there is so much potential. But I always thought that of Trek fans" anyway.

Star Trek is at an interesting crossroads. Not only are there hundreds of hours of television programs and movies spanning from the late 1960s, but the franchise is beginning to head in a new direction under the auspices of J.J. Abrams after his successful 2008 outing "Star Trek" becoming the highest grossing Star Trek film of all time. But there are fans from all walks of life in Trek, and bringing them together through a single club clearly defines Roddenberry's Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations.

"I'm excited about being at the crossroads and harnessing fan power to do good things in the world," Masterson said. Roddenberry wanted fans to make the world a better place through the fan club, and that's what she hopes The Federation will accomplish.

"I want to believe that's how God wants us to live our lives, and I can't think of a better way to do it," she said.

Although Masterson is a convert to Trekdom, her interest in the program dates from before she was cast in the role of Leeta in the syndicated series. A boyfriend at the time was a huge Star Trek fan, to the point where she could only talk to him during commercials. At first, Masterson said she was taken aback by this, but then realized that there was more.

"I thought, maybe there is something to this show, and that's when I started watching," she said.

Masterson joins Haslage as special guests on Alpha Waves Radio which streams July 8 beginning at 8 p.m. ET at AlpaWavesRadio.com. Immediately following the podcast version of the show, Sci-Fi Talk host Tony Tellado hosts Alpha Waves Rewind, a live call-in show starring the listeners, who can call in at (646) 200-3642 on the BlogTalkRadio system.

For those who can't join other listeners for the live stream and chatroom discussion, the show will be available in its entirety for free after 10:30 p.m. ET Thursday at AlphaWavesRadio.com or beginning July 9 at Apple's iTunes Store.

"I wasn't ever one of the fans who knows every episode and every single line," Masterson said. "I'm not a huge trivia buff. But I do understand and appreciate Star Trek for the messages and the allegory. There are big reasons why this franchise is 40-plus years and going strong, and taking on a whole new identity right now.

"It's really fun to be a part of."

Masterson sings four songs in "Yesterday Was a Lie," which is now available on DVD through E1 Entertainment. The film also features Peter Mayhew, best known for his work as Chewbacca in the Star Wars series. Masterson also looks to release a graphic novel based on the film at San Diego Comic-Con later this month.

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