A Painterly Glow at Globe’s Venice Gala

In perhaps the most monumental frame-up ever perpetrated, Old Globe Theatre designer Robert Brill lined the walls of the Sheraton Harbor Island’s Champagne Ballroom with ceiling-height, gilded picture frames, inside which changing photographs of Venice were projected to support the theme of “The Magic of Venice,” presented Saturday at the annual Old Globe Gala.

A select guest list of 350, headed by honorary chairman and chairwoman Gov. Pete Wilson and his wife, Gayle, stepped out of the fog that shrouded the bay into the theatrical, Renaissance-style setting. The dim lighting suggested the palace of the doges during a candle shortage; the table decorations of fruits, wine bottles and broken loaves of bread arranged inside gilded frames made reference to still-life paintings by Venetian masters.

Perhaps only the budget precluded the construction of canals between the tables. And the ballroom, though lacking a Bridge of Sighs, nonetheless boasted a hand-painted dance floor that resembled the inlaid marbles of St. Mark’s Cathedral. Entertainment included masquers and jugglers, dancing to the Bill Green Orchestra and singing by Hilary James.

The inspiration for the event came from the Globe’s production last summer of “The Merchant of Venice,” and the execution from chairwoman Darlene Davies, whose late husband, Lowell Davies, was president of the Globe board for 33 years.

“All my life I’ve wanted to give a big party, and this is a big party,” Davies said after the guests had settled down to Audrey Geisel’s lavish menu of caviar, lobster cioppino , veal steak and biscuit tortoni . “It’s beautiful, it’s wonderful, I’m so happy. I do think it’s all right to have a good time at your own party, and best of all was that Pete said he loves the Globe--everyone heard him say it!”

Pete Wilson’s praises were included in lengthy formal remarks made from the stage. “The Globe is a labor of love for all of us, and tonight is a family occasion,” the governor said. “This theater has made this community infinitely richer.”

“The Magic of Venice” made the Globe richer by about $100,000, a figure that included proceeds from the live auction of three items, a golf date with President Gerald Ford, a trip to Milan (rather oddly, not to Venice) and a dinner at the home of Globe Artistic Director Jack O’Brien, to be served by O’Brien, Executive Producer Craig Noel and Managing Director Tom Hall.

Among guests were Jeannie and Art Rivkin, Estelle and James Milch, Jan and Mike Madigan, Ruth and Jim Mulvaney, Marge O’Donnell, Dolly and Jim Poet, Annyce and Jacques Sherman, Marilyn and Sam Young, Evelyn Truitt, Paul Marshall, Leslie Fox, Marie and Merrel Olesen, Sally and John Thornton, Nancy Whitcomb with Joe Jessop Jr., Mary Adams, Barbara Woodbury with Bill Black, Irene and Sylvan Cooper, Mary and Dallas Clark, Junko and Larry Cushman, Jonnie and Glen Estell, Danah Fayman, Cheryl and Ron Kendrick, Celeste and Gene Trepte, Margaret and Nevins McBride, Carolyn Farris, Alice and Terry Churchill, Martha and George Gafford, Blaine and Bobbie Quick, and Bea and Bob Epsten.

Cooking maven Anne Otterson understands better than most the technique of roasting, though the experience of personally being turned upon the spit must have struck her as something of a novelty last Thursday when she was skewered as the star of the “Women Together” benefit.

By announced intention, more than 360 associates from the worlds of cooking, fund raising and the arts came together in the Champagne Ballroom of the Sheraton Harbor Island to roast Otterson to a nice, crackling finish, but, despite the outpouring of dry wit, she was not cooked in dry heat.

The Fulbright Scholar, wife, mother of three and current UCLA candidate for a doctoral degree in architectural history instead was variously simmered, poached, stewed, braised and brought to a slow boil in her own juices by amusing anecdotes and observations of family members and lifelong friends.

Even so, she never got steamed.

“I’m just the vehicle tonight,” Otterson said an hour before she became the plat du jour . “The real purpose is to recognize the reality of the battered woman.” After the program, she told the audience: “What I achieved in life came from loving, nurturing parents, a loving, supportive husband and children and friends. We are here to acknowledge that in this world there are human beings who have not experienced the rich satisfaction of being loved. We’re here to reach out to them.”

Six programs and shelters for homeless and battered women, operated by Catholic Charities, Episcopal Community Services and the YWCA, benefited from this third annual “Women Together,” which was attended by previous roastees Maggie Mazur and Deborah Szekely.

The three organizations formed the alliance as a unique network that provides women the opportunity to work together both for mutual support and to focus attention on the issues of women and children in need. The programs include the three Rachel’s shelters operated by Catholic Charities, the Julian’s Anchorage operated by Episcopal Community Services and the YWCA’s Women in Transition and Battered Women’s Services programs.

The theme, “Anne Otterson . . . What’s Cooking?” came as a natural, since in 1982 Otterson (a former cooking instructor and confidante of Julia Child) founded the city’s premier culinary fund-raiser, “Celebrities Cook for the UC San Diego Cancer Center,” in the very same ballroom. The first 10 editions of this annual event have raised more than $2 million for cancer research, treatment, education and patient services.

There seemed a general agreement among event chairwoman Katy Dessent and the beneficiaries that the importance of “Women Together” lay more in raising consciousness than funds.

“San Diego is a fortunate community because of the organizations behind ‘Women Together,’ ” Dessent said. “These are valuable programs headed by extraordinary women. They’re a class act.”

The Rev. Pat Backman, chaplain at Julian’s Anchorage, said: “Tonight’s celebration is important because life shouldn’t be just a series of problems. Beyond the financial success of the evening is that we have come together to celebrate what women can accomplish together. Behind Julian’s Anchorage is the idea that women can reach out to one another, and I think we’re living out that idea in this ballroom. Tonight’s exciting for us.”

Catholic Charities director Sister Raymonda DuVall added: “The greatest effect of the evening is raising awareness that women’s efforts are important downtown. We don’t compete, we collaborate.”

The benefit included a dinner of bouillabaisse and tarte tatin , as well as dancing to Biorythm, but the roast was the savory conclusion for which everyone waited. William Otterson sat out his wife’s gentle basting, but sons Eric and John joined in a program also narrated by attorney Abby Silverman, longtime friend Katie Millhiser, cooking buddies Lois Stanton and Jerrie Strom and Anne’s school-day chums from the Midwest, antiquarian Gep Durenburger and Dr. Douglas Pay. Darlene Shiley and Joany Mosher moderated the panel, and, in truth, the jibes were mild.

Event co-chairwomen Konnie Dadmun and Linda Smith helped Dessent assemble an impressive guest list that included Jean and Ernest Hahn, Betty and John Mabee, Jeanne Jones and Don Breitenberg, Carol and Ned Baumer, Martha and John Culbertson, Linda and Frank Alessio, Charmaine and Maury Kaplan, Peggy Preuss, Melesse Traylor, Susan McClellan, Mary Lindenstein Walshok, Barbara Bry, Martha Ranson, Michael Dessent, Jeremy Kapstein, Minna Melton, Bobbie Mahoney, Anne Coleman, Carolyn and Art Hooper, Martha and Bill Ehringer, Tricia Kellogg, David Rubel, Piret and George Munger, Cindy Black, and Kay and David Porter.