Murder, mystery and mirth rode the waves of the Willamette River
Oct. 27, when 75 guests attended a black-tie party to open a six-night
run of ``Bateau de Mort,'' or ``Revenge on the River'' aboard the
stern-wheeler Columbia Gorge.
The Musical Company had asked playwright Charles Deemer to pen another mystery that would be a sequel to last year's ``
Chateau de Mort'' or ``Murder at the Pittock Mansion.'' Like last year, action was simultaneous.
This
year's play continued the same Brody family characters. Chairwoman
Alyce Cheatham's invitation this year was to an on-board wedding of
daughter Trudy Brody. To set the mood, prenuptial operatic music
floated across the river while guests sipped champagne before dinner.
The evening was a dramatic charade. Figuring out who was a guest and
who was an actor wasn't easy. However, even the least suspicious, had
decided Alyson Osborn and Gaynor Sterchi must be actors when they
boarded from a small boat during the cruise.
``The logistics were a nightmare,'' said Jutta Visnick, of the Music Company.
Robert Reed and Holly Wright, who attended last year's party at the
Pittock, felt like seasoned spectators as they raced up and down the
decks trying to keep up with the play. They were determined to find one
who had ``dunit'' this time.
Guests along the way included Dr.
Lendon and Julie Smith, Stefan and Edith Minde, Jack and Virginia
Horner, Dick and Mabel Gearhart, Jim and Si Barron, Dorothea Lensch,
Dorothy Westlund, Florence Findlay and Mitzi Ellis.
Everyone had
a grand time. By the end of the run Oct. 31, the Musical Company had a
short, terse message for the playwright: Do it again next year.
FREED AT 90: To celebrate Elise Freed's 90th birthday, children and
grandchildren gave a cocktail-dinner gala Oct. 31 in the Crystal Room
of the Westin Benson Hotel.
Elise sat with seven men, because,
as daughter Henrietta Schlanger said, ``All her life, my mother has
delighted in -- and, frankly, preferred -- the company of men.''
``I was married to the best of them -- Edgar Freed -- for 57 years,'' Elise was quick to add.
While other guests were served champagne and did little smoking, Elise
did what she always does at parties: drank Scotch and chain-smoked.
A ``roast'' was part of the festivities and everyone wanted to get into
the act. One child, four grandchildren, a son-in-law, a grandson-in-law
and friends joined in the teasing and toasting. Four grandchilden
couldn't make the party.
Guests included longtime friend Edna
Holmes; Fred Edmunds, who developed the Elise Rose in her honor; and
Strayker and Iris Carryer of Oakland, Calif., who were West Hills
neighbors in the '60s.
Other guests jetted in from Billings, Mont.; Atlanta, Ga.; Daly City, Calif.; San Francisco and New York.
MARYLHURST COLLEGE: Members of Marylhurst Circle, major donors to
Marylhurst College for Lifelong Learning, trustees and friends were
honored by the college Oct. 27 at Portland Center for the Performing
Arts.
Some 70 circle members, representing individual donors,
charitable foundations and corporations, attended. College President
Nancy Wilgenbusch and board chairman Robert Murray welcomed them.
During the evening, guests enjoyed a catered buffet on the first
balcony level while listening to Gershwin tunes played by pianist
Sister Rosemary Antonich, a Marylhurst alumna who is a professional
pianist and organist. DOERNBECHER CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL: Amy Ryan,
Caitlan O'Brien, Trista and Erika Hendron, one-time patients at
Doernbecher Memorial Hospital for Children, charmed designer Victor
Costa when they presented him with flowers following his fashion show
at the Portland Hilton ballroom Oct. 29. Doernbecher was beneficiary of
the show underwriteen by Nordstrom.
The girls weren't interested
in champagne and and hors d'oeuvres served before the show, but they
loved the clothes. They were not alone, judging from the murmurimgs
about fashion afterwards. Alyce Cheatham served as chairwoman.
MOUNT HOOD MEDICAL CENTER: Friends of Mount Hood Medical Center turned
historic Columbia River Gorge Hotel into a casino Oct. 23.
The
evening opened with Columbia River salmon dinner. Then it was either
the lure of the casino or dance music by The Love Handles that kept
them moving.
This year Gwenda McCall and Dr. Gary Delorit
planned the evening. Guests included Ross and Bertha Fanning, Larry and
Leslie Walker, Mark Folger, Fred and Karen Eaton, Nick Welsh, Dr. Alan
and Jane Fischer, Dr. Kenneth and Janoff, Dr. Ernest and Stephanie
Talley, and Dr. Patrick and oria Dr. Glen Milligan and Barbara Welsh
won big at the casino. (In real dollars, their winnings wouldn't have
taken them out of the parking lot).
KBOO BALL: After the last
train pulled out of Union Station about 5:30 p.m. Halloween night,
Linda Shirley, started pulling things together for a 9 p.m. costume
party, the KBOO Ball.
As special events director for KBOO
90.7FM, Portland's only listener supported community radio station,
Linda was so rushed she never got in costume.
That made her a
standout in the crowd of 1,500 creative talents dressed fit to kill.
Those who made the best-dressed list at the sixth annual Halloween
party included: Wayne and Jan Bingham as Moldy Oldies were best couple;
Mark Friedman as the St. John's Landfill was funniest; Jim Olding as
Economics 101 was best single.
MYSTERY WEEKEND: Twenty-two mystery buffs paid $219 each for a Murder Mystery Weekend at the Heathman Hotel Oct. 30-Nov. 1.
Hollywood actor Garrett Pearson, best known for his role as the
reporter who constantly harassed Capt. Furillo on ``Hill Street
Blues,'' played the detective. It was not an easy role, as only 20
percent of the script was written. The rest was impromptu.
The weekend included a seance and murder in the Symphony Room. ``Not your usual weekend at the Heathman,'' said Marian Massey.
THE FOUR HUNDRED: Art and Janet Riedel greeted 400 guests -- some from
as far away as Philadelphia -- at a soiree at the Waverley Country Club
Oct. 30. The lively party celebrated the Sept. 18 wedding of Art and
the former Janet Coatney.
Guests included the bride's daughter,
Lesley Milhem, Jim Riedel, the bridegroom's son, and his recent bride,
the former Marjorie Scott.
It was a party for all ages. A dance band changed the beat often enough to get everyone on the dance floor.
DUNTHORPE AUXILIARY: Dr. Robert and Shirley Berselli, who regularly
open their Dunthorpe home for charity functions, lent it to the
Dunthorpe Auxiliary of the Oregon Symphony for its annual dinner Oct.
23.
Fun -- not fund-raising -- is emphasized at this
neighborhood event, which Jane Hoffman-O'Brien and Norma Harper headed
this year.
Jane's only concern was whether husband Jerry O'Brien
would make it home from Minneapolis by dinner time, as he had had a
luncheon date with former vice president Walter Mondale. He made it.
IKEBANA ARTISTS: In late October, the Nippon Cultural Academy
celebrated the 50th anniversary of the arrival in Portland of Bishop
Daiyu and Kuzuko Henjyoji, who introduced the Saga School of Ikebana
flower arranging here.
For the anniversary celebration, Bishop
Henjyoji came from Koyasan, Kuzuko came from Munich, Germany, where she
had attended a Tri-Sister City festival with Sapporo and Munich.
The Ikebana exhibit was arranged by Eleanor Zurcher, Ruby Shiomi,
Maxyne Davis, Alisa Bloodworth, Elsa Wasser, Claire Fulton and
Zepherine Murphy.
Photos by ROSS HAMILTON of The Oregonian Staff. ALYCE and
JULIAN NORTH CHEATHAM - Bateau de Mort ROLV SCHILLIOS, DOROTHY WESTLUND -
STEFAN and EDITH MINDE - JUTTA VISNICK, RICHARD and MABEL GEARHART - JAN and
ROBERT MURRAY, SALLY BOLLINGER - Marylhurst College GAYLE VEBER, NANCY
WILGENBUSCH - SISTER ROSEMARY ANTONICH - IMELDA JOHN CONDON - G. WEB and
ELLA LEE ROSS - LISA STONE - WAYNE and JAN BINGHAM - KBOO Ball LINDA SHIRLEY,
SYLVIA DANIELSON - CAROL WOOD, DENISE HILDEBRANDT, DAWN PEARSON - MOTO, REED
DARMON, KELLY AGRIMSON - GEOFF and GAIL PARK, LINDA CAMPILLO - MARIA
SCHLANGER, KAYCE and LISA FREED - Freed at 90 HENRIETTA SCHLANGER, BOB and
JOAN CURTIS -