Alena Cochran and Jeanette Owen-Kennedy have decided the time has come. The Sacred Tart Teahouse is on its way to becoming a reality.

Cochran and Owen-Kennedy, friends for years, are passionate about their enjoyment of food, music and theater. Last year, Cochran completed taking her class through the eighth grade as an instructor at the Waldorf School. Owen-Kennedy had been thinking about the teahouse concept. They teamed up and the pair has been working for the past year on the development of the project.

"We want a good place to hang out," smiles Owen-Kennedy. "Everyone we know says Ukiah needs a place to eat and get together, like any city or college town." They are working with the WEST Company and have developed a business plan. The pair is seeking financial backing, but until they open the doors of their teahouse, they will be serving teas and snacks at Sundays in the Park and the Moonlight Madness films at Alex Thomas Plaza.

The idea of a teahouse, a concept rapidly gaining a foothold in urban zones, differs dramatically from Wi-Fi infused coffee shops that have become the standard haunts of laptop-wielding professionals. Teahouses have their roots in antiquity and continue to be a social nexus in Central Asia, China and Japan. European teahouses have been serving coffee, tea and refreshments for approximately 400 years. Their traditions of elegance and refinement, combined with the exotic comforts, scents and flavors of Asia, are the inspiration for modern teahouses, which offer a wide variety of beverages, ethnic and comfort foods in atmospheres of relaxation and pleasing aesthetics.

Owen-Kennedy spent the past year researching teas, and feels she has developed an excellent tea selection. "I attended the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas," explains Owen-Kennedy. She focused on organic and fair-trade vendors and from there made her choices. The Teahouse will feature dozens of exotic teas. "Our favorite is the Velvet Tea," says Cochran, containing rooibos, vanilla, mint, chocolate nibs and a hint of apple. Lotus Green Tea contains 1,000 lotus flowers per pound. Pu-erh- fermented tea balls- can be classified by the year of production, similar to fine wines."I'm excited to bring all of this information to the community."

"It all comes down to couches," laughs Cochran. The Sacred Tart Teahouse, in its final form, will feature plenty of comfortable furnishings, encouraging people to relax. The pair purchased their first couch, which they bring to their booth at Sundays in the Park. "We're pro-couch," smiles Owen-Kennedy.

The friends have wasted no time creating an event which will feature their teas and snacks, but will also showcase the broad range of entertainment they hope to offer at the Teahouse.

The Vaudeville Variety Show and Livestock Auction opens Saturday at the Treblemakers Music School, 171A Brush St. "We will have tea tasting, penny treats and live music beginning at 7:30," says Owen-Kennedy. At 8:30, the fun really begins. Entertainment ranges from musical to irreverent and possibly even a little bizarre, says Cochran, which reflects the rowdier side of the duo. Isaac Frenkel, known as Shovelman, will perform on his guitar-made-out-of-a-shovel. Vaudeville performances from members of the Willits Shakespeare troupe, old-time guitar, jazz vocalist Jenny Peterman, '30s piano music, gypsy dancing, ventriloquism, magic acts, contortionists, and, according to Cochran, "possibly a burlesque act or 3," are among the many scheduled entertainments. The evening will be broken into three acts with time for mingling in between. Owen-Kennedy, who is bringing her children to the event, rates the entertainment as "PG-13." "There will be bawdy, old-time humor, and possibly some colorful language."

Owen-Kennedy and Cochran are actively looking for investors and "members" to help them create a permanent home for the Teahouse. The WEST Company is helping them look for startup funding - difficult to locate in the current economic climate. Their Web site details membership, investment packages and incentives. "Ideally, we need a few investors," says Owen-Kennedy. "We've raised money. People are responding to our membership program, but this is going to take a lot of community support."

When the teahouse opens, expect good lighting, evening hours, a comfortable place for kids and delicious food, as well as beverages, and yes, Wi-Fi. Until then, watch for the Sacred Tart Teahouse at local events, serving glasses of the world's finest teas and providing a comfy couch for the hedonist within. "We want to enjoy the best parts of the city, but we want to live here," says Cochran. "If the community wants this, we'll make it happen."

Tickets for the Vaudeville Variety Show are available at the Mendocino Book Company or Leaves of Grass in Willits, or by e-mail at: info@sacredtartteahouse.com

Web site: www.sacredtartteahouse.com