I have until next Monday to come up with a costume I can wear. I have to be a Disney character but it doesn�t matter which one. I thought of making a teapot costume from cardboard but Kat told me that I cannot embarrass her like that. We�re both in the Purim play together. I�m a chorus member. She�s the magic mirror, sort of. This play is a spoof so everyone is only Disney, sort of.

Purim is Kat�s favorite holiday. It�s something like the Jewish Halloween. You show up at religious services in costume, eat triangular fruit-filled cookies called hamantashen, and hear the story of how brave Queen Esther married the King of Persia and then, when it was necessary in order to save her people, revealed herself to be Jewish so that she could thwart the plans of the evil Haman who planned to hang all the Jews. Each time Haman�s name is said, you use noisemakers, called greigers, or a stamp of your feet to blot out his name. Oh, yes, and silly plays are the order of the day.

Which brings me back to the costume thing. I�ve been told that I have to show up in a Disney costume and I don�t have much time to pull it together. I�m teaching at a seminar for three days beginning on Thursday and won�t have time to do costuming then. I�m looking for inspiration. Too bad I won�t fit into Kat�s Chinese-style dress. I could go as Mulan. Unfortunately, Kat�s clothes will not fit me.

Then it occurred to me. Belle. I could be Belle. I have an old blue satin bridesmaid�s dress that would be perfect if I removed the weird flower thing and put a white apron around my waist. I tried it on and it still fit�barely. I�ll be fine if I don�t breathe too hard. Still, I should be able to sing well enough and to get out my lines. I may decide by the end of the night that I�m suffering but many artists suffer for their art. (Okay. I�m not sure this play is art. Actually, I�m quite sure this play is not art but that�s half the fun.) I suppose on some level I�m suffering for religion. If God has a sense of humor, God will appreciate this costume.

Sure, there are some problems. Belle had a white blouse. I�ll never get a white blouse under this outfit. I�m doing well to get all of me under this outfit. Maybe I could find a dickie somewhere. I�d still have blue sleeves but so what? At least Kat wouldn�t disown me (which would be difficult anyway because we are sharing music.)

Let Kat be a magic mirror. I�ll be the Belle of the Purim Play.

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