Hello Everyone,

I trust you are well. I have been helping my room mate prepare a meal for that celebration you call Thanksgiving. It is such a delightful holiday and I cannot wait to participate in all the festivities associated with this marvelous time of year.

On a business note, we will be extending our deadline for the play submissions, so if you thought you would not have time to send it in, now you do. So please send in your plays.

In other news, Midwinter Fling is fast approaching as the season progresses and I have just received news about the play which will be performed at STEAM Fest in April. The play is a steampunk mystery based upon the Sherlock Holmes stories of Sir. Arthur Conan Doyle (favorites of mine) and a scene from this will be performed at the Midwinter Fling. You would hate to miss that, so you had best be there.

I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving Day.

Best,

Caroline Francesca DeFontaine

Eleventh day of November, 2010

Greetings Friends,

I hope this message finds you well. I would just like to thank you all for sending in your plays for the contest. I'm sure they are all going to be marvelous! Also, there will be more information about the schedules of performances, workshops and other activities in STEAM Fest very soon. We are still ironing out details and we will let you know the final schedule soon.

My communicator has run out of power and so, I have finally decided to invest in one of those cellular phones. I thought I would have been woefully insufficient in the area of funds, but I find that gold coins go further than I thought. The cellular phone is not as difficult to operate as I first thought, but I find that when I have it in my pocket I often ring people when I do not intend to! Most frustrating.

Oh, I have something else of a personal matter to report: I have found a tiny dog in the woods behind my room mate's house. I have named her Electra and she is sleeping beside me now. Perhaps I ought to take her for a walk.

I wish you all well, and hope to see you soon at the Midwinter Fling.

Love,

Caroline Francesca DeFontaine

10 November, 2010

4th day of November, 2010

Greetings Friends,

I hope you all are well. This week has been quite a busy one. We are hard at work on the upcoming Midwinter Fling (9th of January is fast approaching!) as well as eagerly accepting submissions to the playwriting contest for STEAM Fest. If you would like to enter, you can see the previous entry here which includes all the details.

My brother and I have been corresponding via our communicators, but sadly the voltaic battery in mine is almost dead. For all your outstanding advancements in this time, you have no way for me to charge it and your alkaline batteries do not fit the device. It was recommended that I get a telephone to replace the communicator and, though I would not be able to speak with my brother, I suppose I should try to operate one of these cellular phones. It is quite different from the telephones of my time, but the principles are fascinating and I'm sure I will be able to pick it up in no time. I also have recently discovered my inability to drive automobiles. I am skilled enough at maneuvering my airship, but attempting to drive on "highways" is beyond me. I fear I gave my room mate quite a scare, but all is well, and from now on she shall be the driver.

I must bid you farewell for the night, for I am busy at the moment dismantling a cellular phone in order to better understand its components. I much hurry and piece it together again before my room mate returns.

Good Evening,

Caroline Francesca DeFontaine

27th day of October, 2010

Salutations Faithful Readers,

Happily I can report to you that I have restored my communicator to working order and have contacted my brother. He was, understandably, concerned for my well-being, but was pleased to hear that I have met such wonderful people in this new time. He is avidly working on the time machine, but it seems that it will not be operational any time soon. He said that it was very fortunate I made it to 2010 unharmed, for there are a lot of “kinks” he has yet to work out of the machine. I told him that if only he were here, there would be ample technology, and many people knowledgeable about time machines, who could help him repair it.

However, I do have some very good news. I am delighted to tell you that this Saturday night, the 30th of October at 7:30 PM, the band Emerald Rose, a Celtic band with a flair for the mechanical, will be performing at the Academy Theatre. You can find tickets here: http://atlanta.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=307069 . Emerald Rose is quite a prestigious band in this area, I am told, so I am sure you will not want to miss this performance.

Additionally, Doctor Q will be holding his Mechanical Masquerade at the Academy Theatre on the 6th day of November at 7:00. There will be music, dancing, lectures, purveyors of steampunk goods, and steampunk revelry all around. You can learn more about the event as well as find out how to get tickets here: http://culturemob.com/events/6271797-doctor-qs-mechanical-masquerade-ga-avondale-estates-30002-the-academy-theatre

I hope you will join the Academy Theatre at both of these events. I know they will be fantastic!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I do believe I need to figure out how to operate what my room mate calls a microwave. I am starving and all the icebox has to provide is a box of Chinese food. I do like this “Chinese food.”

Ta,

Caroline Francesca DeFontaine

Writing Contest

19th of October, 2010

Greetings Friends,

I hope this correspondence finds you well. I have been very busy this week putting together more details of STEAM Fest and I am pleased to announce that there will be a writing contest which all of you may enter. You may submit ten-page plays that will then be produced as stage readings at STEAM Fest!

Now, I must briefly tell you of the rules:

Firstly, because STEAM Fest is a theatre festival celebrating the alternate history and inventive science fiction of steampunk in both literary and visual aspects we do ask that all works be related thematically in some way. Here are some helpful websites that can inspire you. I have been introduced to Wikipedia and found that it is a wonderful starting point for research: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk This page provides introductory information and an overview of how the genre of steampunk came to be. I found it most enlightening. Another page which can provide you with interesting links and hints is: http://brassgoggles.co.uk/blog/ . And finally here is a list of common steampunk themes that can help you get started on a brilliant plot: http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1249132-SteamPunk-A-List-of-Themes

Don’t be discouraged if you have never heard of or worked with the steampunk genre, it is so much fun to learn about and because it has such a vast array of sub-genres there’s something for everyone. If you have any questions regarding content please email dreadpiratelainey@yahoo.com

LENGTH:

Each work must be no longer than 10 pages [not including the title page]. Anything longer will automatically be disqualified.

FORMAT:

Entrant may send up to 3 works. Accompanying each work will be a Title page which includes the following information:

Title of Work

Full Name

Mailing Address

Email Address

Phone Number

Paragraph Synopsis

Please mail hardcopy manuscripts to:

Lainey Welsch

536 Partin Road

Cleveland, GA 30528

Electronic copies will not be accepted.

If sending more than one work, please use one envelope.

DEADLINE:

All scripts must be postmarked no later than December 1st, 2010. The winners will be announced by December15th and a staged reading of the winners will be performed April 9th-10th as part of The Academy Theatre's Third Annual STEAM Fest.

For any questions regarding the contest please email dreadpiratelainey@yahoo.com

I do hope you will enter because it will be every so much fun, and imagine, you will get to see your play performed onstage!

At the moment, I have little to report on my brother. Sadly, my communicator was broken when I arrived here, but I hope to have it fixed soon. I wonder if it will work across time? I should greatly love to share my adventures with Peter. I will have more to report to you next week, until then, I must go and continue my repairs on my communicator.

Congenially Yours,

Caroline Francesca DeFontaine

PS-- Please join the Academy Theatre for the Performance of Emerald Rose on October 3oth!

https://atlanta.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=307069

The Extraordinary Contraptions!

Please go check out a great steampunk band: The Extraordinary Contraptions! They are playing tonight at The Shelter with great UK group Bitter Ruin. Opening for them is our favorite Moldavian circus troupe Thimblerig!

Go HERE for more details!