Talent over coffee

[Evelynn East]

When Evelynn wandered into the Starbucks in the early afternoon, laptop hugged to her chest while she went in search for a private, empty booth, she looked much like the half-a-dozen other young women there to do some homework or just take advantage of the free wifi. She supposed she wasn't so different, really - her gaze settled on one such young lady, with shockingly colored hair and a nose-ring, and imagined her planning something like a Battle of the Bands. Heh. Stereotyping. But more to the point, it made her smile a little to think that she wasn't so different from them, at least in a small way.

She ordered herself a mocha latte and sat down, comfortable and a little excited. Pulling up a blank document, she stared hard at it for several long seconds, as if willing it to cooperate, and then started recording a few ideas for this talent show while she awaited Alex Rivers .

[Swami M]

Alex takes a moment to get his bearings in the busy coffee shop. Something seems off... until he realizes that the bubble of unnatural stillness surrounds the person he's looking for. He nods to her, and as soon as his order for a tall coffee has been filled he walks over and sits down across from her. He takes a notebook from his bag and sets it down on the table in front of him.

"Hello. I hope you haven't been waiting too long..."

[Evelynn East]

Evelynn looked up at Alex's arrival, offering him a bright smile. "Oh no! Not at all!" She motioned for him to sit, then cleared her throat. "So! Uh. I guess first thing's first..." Wait, wasn't it polite to start with small talk or something? She frowned, looking down at her computer, then back up at Alex. "Um. So. How're you?"

She paused, awaiting his response, and then struggled to find something else to talk about. Damn, she was bad at this. Screw it. They were here to talk about the talent show. "So! Did you have any particular thoughts about how we should do this? I was gonna ask about where we should host it, but maybe it'd work better to find out what acts we'll have to host for... What do you think?"

[Swami M]

Alex opens his notebook and glances inside...

"So the questions we have to work through... First, where is it going to be held? We have three bars run by club members that could be the venue. Assuming we don't use an, uh, outdoor setting. And that leads to another question... who is going to participate? Is this going to be limited to club members only? Then we need to decide on a date. How much lead time do we need? That probably depends on how seriously people are going to take this... how much time they want to rehearse and prepare. Finally, we need a way to get the word out. We could post flyers at all the usual hangouts. I could start a website or blog about it, but of course people would have to know to look for it. Having some kind of e-mail list or phone tree would be ideal, but that also raises privacy and security issues. We'd need to check with the officers before working on anything like that..."

[Evelynn East]

"Let's see... I'd like to keep it in-club, personally. Means we're a little more free to be ourselves." Evelynn smiled. Why not give the community a chance to show off some of their more hidden skills? "I think flyers are a good idea. And we could try to contact that DJ guy who does the podcast." Had Alex been around last time one of those had been released? She wasn't sure - maybe he wouldn't know what she was talking about.

"I think we should avoid an outdoor setting. Weather," she pointed out, chewing her lip. Not that weather was the real concern. More that she knew better than to invite the rest of the freehold into the Winter hollow, and she wasn't going to run around demanding the other courts offer theirs. "A flyer would probably work best. There are enough places that people tend to hang out around town that I think we'll catch most people that way. And anyone who gets missed will probably just hear about it from a friend. Hopefully."

[Swami M]

"Flyers are simple enough. Once we've settled on a design we can make a whole bunch at Kinko's or wherever and then post them at the usual hangouts. The three bars, Edna's, Quicksilver Gate and so on. We can use a burner email account and one of those do-it-yourself blog sites. Put those addresses on the posters... And... yeah I've heard of that DJ. Otzal, I think it is. Do you know how to get in touch with him?" Alex thinks for a moment. "But before that we need to settle on a date and a venue. I'm not sure how well the Rose Garden is set up for live music and stage acts. The Forge would be kind of... awkward... for this kind of thing. As a jazz club, the Blue Note seems like it might be the best fit. It's got a stage, but it's more intimate than a big barn like the Forge..."

[Evelynn East]

Evelynn nods. "Well, I can definitely ask about using the Blue Note for a private evening. That sounds fine. Obviously I'll have to check first, but let's make that our tentative location for now, okay? And yeah, I know how to get in contact with the DJ, but, um, we haven't heard anything from him in a while, so maybe it's best to assume he might not get the word out in time."

Evelynn began to type away at her computer, then paused. "So... what about non-stage acts? Um. I mean, what if someone wants to show off their talent but it's not something that works in a stage setting? Like Terri showing off her clothes or something?"

[Swami M]

"Well, we could have different categories, like visual and performing arts. Maybe even a fashion show. Start with a reception where people can browse the art on display. Then do the modeling, and finally the music and stage acts. But of course we'll need a strong turnout for that. And the contestants will need time to prepare. So do you have any thoughts on a possible date?"

[Evelynn East]

Evelynn nodded and started discussing dates, though obviously those would depend on venue availability. She was still typing away at her computer, taking notes on the location, time, and a quick to-do list for the event, with the promise to email it to Alex after the meeting.

Anything else you wanna discuss, or shall we move on to chatting up L'aire about getting the Blue Note for the event?

[Swami M]

"OK, so the plan is for a show including arts and crafts as well as music and stage acts. Date TBD with the Blue Note as the venue, pending approval. Once we have those details settled we can start with the flyers and word of mouth..."

Talking to L'aire sounds good.