Leonard Gray / L’Observateur / October 28, 2000

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays, for the simple reason being that I’m a ham and I love dressing up in costume.

This goes back to childhood when, at around 6 years old, I used soot from a gas oven to smear on my face. Together with some old clothes, I trick-or-treated as a little hobo.

Once I hit LSU, my fascination with costuming blossomed. During theannual flag football marathon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, which always fell on Halloween, I would work the crowds, usually in a hunchback outfit of my own design.

This included, besides the hump, a fun effect with strips of adhesive tape over one eye. This made the eye look truly horrible in the street-lamplight and I pitched my voice down an octave as I would make my way through the crowds, muttering, “Excuse me,” in a deep voice. They wouldturn around, see my eye, and clear the way for me.

A vampire outfit has always been a staple for me and after years of searching, I’ve finally found some really cool vampire fangs. Funny how myambitions are so small.

Also in college, I was involved in student theater and took classes in acting and in stage makeup. When I performed as Romeo’s father onespring, I designed my own foot-long beard, using cheesecloth, yak hair and spirit gum. Even off-stage and up close, it looked totally and completelyreal.

At the same time, I had the fun of acting on stage in front of hundreds of people. I had the great scene in “Romeo and Juliet” in that I’m the first tofind the bodies at the end. I also had a couple of swordfights with “LordCapulet.” Still have my sword.Besides that, I spent years looking for a really good gorilla mask. My in-laws found one and I got it for an early birthday present one year. It camewith gorilla hands as well.

Recently, I found this great hooded mask which includes a flat-black cloth screen over the face. With the hood, the effect is that of no head.That’s what I’m wearing this year, along with a long, black hood and black clothing.

Oooooooo! Also this year, though after Halloween, I’m attending the Texas Renaissance Festival near Houston. I’m going as a “wizard,” and plan towalk around with a few magic tricks I’ve picked up along the way.

I’m also getting a reputation in my neighborhood for my costumes every year. The younger children are truly terrified of me, and I often have totake off my mask to calm them down. The older kids, in their teen-ageyears (who too old to trick-or-treat in my book anyway), just shuffle up and stick out their hands for the free candy.

This year, I get to entertain at a children’s Halloween party. I have to becareful, since last time I did that, I ended up being chased through a church’s classroom building by a group of boys who wanted to “kill the vampire.”But I love Halloween. And Mardi Gras is coming soon, too.

LEONARD GRAY is a reporter for L’Observateur.

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