Maxime

TL;DR

Broad, middle-aged, burgundy jacket, rings on four fingers, a knowing smirk that says he already read you at the door. Maxime runs the Gilded Cage from behind the bar and the microphone. He is the gate to the stage: build enough exhibition nerve in his room and he offers the audition himself; perform well and he keeps a file on what you’re worth to the house.

Arc

• Before the audition he talks to anyone who watches the stage “like some people watch a locked door”, his line for stage hunger.
• The audition decides your entry tier: floor act or straight onto the roster.
• As your MC he runs check-ins after sets, adjusts your billing, and fills in the file on the house regulars (Apollo, Vera) when they take an interest in you.