Echo Station: The Magic Has Left The Building

After fifteen months, the "Star Wars: The Magic of Myth" exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum closes on January 31, 1999. I was privileged to help out as a volunteer at the exhibit: taking tickets, stamping hands and getting to hang out only a few feet away from a Star Destroyer. Needless to say, it was quite the experience.
Wednesday night, January 27, the Museum hosted a reception to thank the volunteers. What a wonderful treat.
The main hall was set up with tables, each hosting a prop or model, surrounded by food.
Goody bags and door prizes were given away, many supplied by Lucasfilm and Star Wars Insider. My goody bag included an Episode I postcard, an Obi-Wan action figure and a book of pullout 8x10 prints. Oh, and a kite. Yes, I now own a Darth Vader vinyl kite. Well, it's not really for me; I just grabbed it for Tanner, my SW-obsessed nephew. Did I mention that I'm buying the kid an AT-AT for his birthday? But, I digress...
The best part of the evening was seeing the volunteers who took the time and trouble to show up in costume. We had one Leia, two Vaders, one Boba Fett, one Boba Fettish (complete with handcuffs and leather chaps), and two Imperial officers. One would have thought that La Monica was in the room, there were so many flash bulbs popping.

After foodies and prizes, we were ushered into the IMAX Theater to watch the 2-minute trailer and a montage of media clips about how much frenzy Episode I is already generating. We were granted a few tidbits, particularly the news that the exhibition may hit the road sometime next year. Negotiations are ongoing, and may not be complete until later in the spring. One of the bonuses would be that props and models from Episode I could be included in a road show. The Museum recommends that fans visit their site — http://www.nasm.edu/StarWars/ — to keep up with news.

Those of you lucky enough to have seen "The Magic of Myth" also saw the 20-minute film that showed in the gallery's lobby. Produced by the Air and Space Museum, the documentary included interviews with George Lucas, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, John Williams and others. Last night, we were treated to some extra footage from the actors -- particularly Mark Hamill's story about going to lunch with Sir Alec Guiness during the filming of "Star Wars." Unfortunately, we were told that the documentary will not be available for purchase. The Museum was unable to find a sponsor to produce and market tapes, and 20th Century Fox decided against doing just that. Pinheads. The only way people are going to get to see this is if the show goes on tour. For the sake of everyone who couldn't make it to Washington, I hope it does.

I'm going to miss the exhibit; it was the one place in Washington where I could forget about work and slavery in the Senate and indulge in intense Star Wars-geekdom. Granted, when I first started, I hoped that I would have the opportunity to amaze everyone with my knowledge of the SW universe. Instead, all I got was "Where is the restroom? My kid just barfed on the Yoda display case."

I had the best time volunteering on such a great project. It was a real kick to see peoples' faces as they walked out of the gallery. They got to stand THAT close to a speeder bike. The glee of sharing the magic that is Star Wars made it all worthwhile.

(When not slaving away in America's own version of the Imperial Senate, Jody Reeves can be found avidly hunting down nude photos of Harrison Ford on the internet. Authenticity matters not. )