The Valley Line: Poolside donor-appreciation reception hosted by Adventist Health Glendale Foundation
Our cooler mornings have been an invitation for me to go enjoy a cup of coffee in my back garden. The bird song is always lively and interesting.
Adding to this morning delight were the appearances of very busy butterflies. The most gorgeous of all has been the black and yellow giant swallowtail, or more precisely, a Papilio cresphontes. These lovely creatures have been collecting nectar from my bloom-laden lantana plant, with the females most likely laying their eggs on the leaves of the lemon and kumquat trees in my yard. Quietly observing nature is such a lovely way for me to begin the day.
***
A beautiful Spanish Baroque-style estate in Glendale’s Rossmoyne neighborhood was the setting for a donor-appreciation reception hosted by the Adventist Health Glendale Foundation.
Greeting guests to this dramatic nearly century-old home were Annette Ermshar, foundation chair; Kevin A. Roberts, president and chief executive of Adventist Health Glendale (AHGL); and Irene Bourdon, AHGL foundation president.
It was a lovely, warm evening as guests gathered around the pool and later took tours of the home’s many exquisitely decorated rooms, led by Silva Hameline.
Cooling drinks were served and guests tasted delightful appetizers of fresh mozzarella and basil bruschetta, lettuce wraps filled with herb-seasoned chicken, ricotta quiches, and fresh fruit plates, all prepared and catered by Zen Catering.
The foundation is leading a campaign to raise funds for the renovation of the hospital’s Cancer Services Center and installing a new Varian TrueBeam linear accelerator, the a radiation therapy technology to fight many types of cancers. Special guest at the reception was James Van de Voorde, president and chief executive of Osher Van de Voorde Management, Pasadena, who spoke to attendees on the topic “Understanding planned gifts and their benefits.”
Also enjoying the festivities were foundation board members Marguerite Marsh, Fran Buchanan, Sam Carvajal, Pat Crouch, Arsen Danielian, Dr. Harlan Gibbs, the hospital chief of staff, Margaret Kaufman, Serjik Kesachekian, Ellor Parikh and their guests.
***
It was an exciting, colorful extravaganza of 25 years of costumes worn by A Noise Within (ANW) actors — a most unique runway show that thrilled the audience. As one actor put it, “It was a behind-the-seams peek into theatre costuming.”
Resident artists walking the runway wore creations by costume designers Garry D. Lennon, Jenny Foldenauer, Leah Piehl and resident artist Angelea Balogh Calin.
From the sublime to the ridiculous and everything in between, the costumes were extraordinary.
Just some of the recent ANW costumes shown were productions from “A Flea in Her Ear;” “Pericles,” “Prince of Tyre,” “The Tempest” “You Never Can Tell,” “The Imaginary Invalid,” “Figaro,” “Tartuffe,” “Arcadia,” “King Lear,” “The Maids,” “The Dance of Death,” “A Christmas Carol,” “Man of La Mancha,” “The Importance of Being Earnest,” “The Threepenny Opera,” “The Beaux’ Stratagem,” and “Macbeth.”
Artistic directors Julia Rodriguez-Elliott and Geoff Elliott and their team of artists discussed how costumes shape the way in which audiences perceive the characters. They also told behind-the-scenes tales of construction feats, wardrobe malfunctions and performance success.
Rodriguez-Elliott said, “We thought this would be a fun and delightful way to have a different experience with A Noise Within. We spend a lot of creative energy on the costuming — even the most straightforward of period dress hides secrets about how character is revealed through costuming.”
Before the big show began, guests gathered for a cocktail reception where speculation ran high about what costumes would appear. Among some of the guests were La Cañadans Jeanie and Terry Kay and Molly Bachmann, along with other Foothills area ANW aficionados.
A Noise Within is celebrating its 25th anniversary during the 2016-17 season and was recently named one of the nation’s “premier classical repertory companies” by the Huffington Post, and is a leading regional producer based in Pasadena.
JANE NAPIER NEELY covers the La Cañada Flintridge social scene. Email her at jnvalleysun@aol.com with news of your special event.