Noah Wyle, known for his role in HBO's medical drama The Pitt, is set to portray Captain James T. Kirk in a one-night-only benefit reading of a classic Star Trek episode. The event, organized by the Writers Guild Foundation (WGF), will feature several of Wyle's The Pitt co-stars lending their talents.
WGF RetroReads Presents: Star Trek 60th is scheduled for August 30 and aims to raise funds for the Foundation's operations. The script chosen for the reading is "The Man Trap," the very first episode of Star Trek to air and a key part of creator Gene Roddenberry's initial vision for the series. This horror-tinged episode follows Captain Kirk and the Enterprise crew as they encounter a dangerous, shapeshifting monster on a remote outpost.
Wyle will take on the role of Kirk, with Taylor Dearden, who also stars in The Pitt, cast as Spock. Other participating cast members from The Pitt include Katherine LaNasa, Fiona Dourif, Shabana Azeez, and Ayesha Harris, though their specific roles have not yet been announced. The performance will include a live musical score and a replica of the iconic Salt Vampire monster from the episode, provided by the Star Trek Archive. The WGF selected "The Man Trap" due to its premiere year, 1966, coinciding with the founding year of the Writers Guild Foundation, and Roddenberry's own involvement as a founding board member.
The event is set to begin at 7 p.m. PT at the Lode Room in Los Angeles. In-person tickets are priced at $66, with livestream tickets available for $20. This special reading comes at a time when the Star Trek franchise has a limited presence on television, with only Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Starfleet Academy currently airing. Strange New Worlds is slated to conclude after its fifth season, and Starfleet Academy after its second, potentially leaving the franchise absent from TV for the first time since 2017.