It’s been a busy birthday week for Star Trek. Wednesday, September 8, was the 55th anniversary of the first episode of Star Trek: the Original Series. September 10 would have been the 107th birthday of Oscar winning director Robert Wise, the director of The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), The Andromeda Strain (1971), and Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). Saturday, September 11, 2021 is the 63rd birthday of actress/director Roxann Dawson, best known for playing B’Elanna Torres on Star Trek: Voyager.
B’Elanna
B’Elanna Torres was the half-Klingon engineer of the starship Voyager. She was also the first major Latinx character in Star Trek (and one of the few to actually be played by an Hispanic actor). Torres was the daughter of a human father John Torres and a Klingon mother, Miral. She was born on the Federation colony planet Kessick IV. She attended Starfleet Academy, but dropped out before graduation. B’Elanna Torres joined the Maquis. She served with Maquis leader Chakotay, as engineer aboard his vessel Val Jean. She was part of a group of Federation and Maquis personnel who were unwillingly sent to the Delta Quadrant. After joining the crew of the Voyager, she was granted a field commission in Starfleet. Despite her youth, she quickly became chief engineer. She eventually married Lt. Tom Paris, scrapegrace son of Admiral Paris. They had a daughter, Miral.
Mrs. Dawson Herself
Roxann Dawson was born Roxann Caballero September 11, 1958 in Los Angeles, California. She graduated from UC Berkeley in 1980 with a BA in Theater Arts. She has been married twice, to actor Casey Biggs (Damar on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) from 1985 – 1987, and to casting director Eric Dawson from 1994 to present. Roxann and Eric Dawson have two daughters, Emma and Mia.
Roxann Dawson made her directing debut with the Voyager episode “Riddles.” She currently has 58 directorial credits, including Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, Marvel’s Runaways, Foundation, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Breakthrough was the first movie she directed.
In addition to acting in science fiction shows like ST: Voyager and Seven Days, Roxann Dawson co-wrote a science fiction trilogy. Dawson co-wrote Entering Tenebrea, Tenebrea’s Hope, and Tenebrea Rising with Daniel Graham. A very happy birthday to the very accomplished Mrs. Dawson: live long and prosper!
-30-
Susan Macdonald is the author of the children’s book “R is for Renaissance Faire”, as well as 26 short stories, mostly fantasy in “Alternative Truths”, “Swords and Sorceress #30”, Swords &Sorceries Vols. 1, 2, & 5, “Cat Tails” “Under Western Stars”, and “Knee-High Drummond and the Durango Kid”. Her articles have appeared on SCIFI.radio’s web site, in The Inquisitr, and in The Millington Star. She enjoys Renaissance Faires (see book above), science fiction conventions, Highland Games, and Native American pow-wows.
