Peakies Rise Up for TreePeople

The Scene: The ultimate “Twin Peaks” benefit theme party with cherry pie, darn good coffee, reruns of past episodes--plus the cast! No, this wasn’t like a nostalgic “Star Trek” reunion (too early for that). Instead, upwards of 400 Peakies turned out to support the TreePeople at a Saturday night event organized by the Environmental Media Assn. A myriad of meaningful details (such as eye patches) were omnipresent. But they were lost on a small but meaningful minority of party-goers (mostly media types) who said they never saw the show.

The Locale: Downtown Los Angeles’ magnificent Union Station, which suddenly has become the hot party spot. There’s no question that its Streamline-Spanish arcades and former Fred Harvey restaurant space are conducive to large crowds on warm evenings. Anyway, holding parties there is one way to get people thinking about mass transit, even if they all arrive separately in expensive imported automobiles and they valet-park.

Overhead: “The last time I was here was to pick up my mother-in-law. I convinced her to take the train from Monterey. It was 4 1/2 hours late.”

Birth of a Fund-Raiser: “I got the idea in the shower. Agent Cooper’s always talking about how beautiful the Douglas firs are, so it made sense,” said EMA president Andy Spahn, explaining how the Peaks-TreePeople connection was made.

Who Was There: Many cast members, including Kyle MacLachlan, Sheryl Lee, Dana Ashbrook, Eric Da Re, Michael Horse, Piper Laurie, Grace Zabriskie, Jack Nance, Kimmy Robertson, Wendy Robie and Richard Beymer, plus co-producer Mark Frost. When they all stood onstage together, someone in the audience muttered: “If they all get up and speak one at a time, we’re leaving.”

The Laura Palmer Factor: Even though it’s just make-believe, actress Sheryl Lee, who plays the dead but pivotal “Peaks” character Laura Palmer, was the evening’s center of attention in her, dare say, funereal black crushed velvet pants, black shirt and black hat. And, yes, all anyone wants to know about is who killed her. To wit: “I’d like to know. . . . I think it’s about time,” said Tony Thomas, partner in Witt, Thomas, Harris Productions (“Golden Girls,” “Empty Nest”). “They’re going to find out but that’s not going to be the important thing,” said actor Horse. “I was sick to death of (the question) for five months, but now I’m sort of inured to it,” said producer Frost.

Laura Palmer Overkill: For a shot at a “Peaks” walk-on, guests predicted who terminated her by filling out entry forms printed on recycled paper.

Quoted: “I’m speaking on behalf of the cast because I really have the closest on-camera relationship with a tree,” said Catherine Coulson, who plays the “Log Lady,” adding: “The log is ponderosa pine and it’s indigenous to the Pacific Northwest.”

The Chow: Besides pie and coffee, doughnuts and Brie sandwiches (if you don’t watch the show, forget it). The rest of the buffet reflected a Northwestern theme, including Snoqualmie (Washington) Winery Chardonay and Fume Blanc, smoked salmon, salmon pizzas and salmon quesadillas.

Dress Code: The usual free-for-all, including exposed lingerie and mini floral baby doll dresses for women, and a fair share of neckties for men. Plus, in what no doubt was a precursor of Halloween, plaid flannel shirts, blanket coats, fringed leather jackets, cowboy boots and string ties.