Apparently the tradition of wearing masks and costumes on Purim came about because of the nature of God in the Book of Esther. God is never mentioned explicitly in the entire book, but his presence is said to affect everything that happens. Hiding behind masks is supposed to celebrate God's hidden presence in Esther.
I've been trying to work in as many cultural allusions and references into my script as possible, and I think that Purim masks would work beautifully in Xerxes Atlas. Not only do they reference Purim, masks are something that can work really beautifully on stage, and most crucially, they represent some of the greater themes of the play.
Most of the characters wear a metaphorical mask of some sort. Haman wears a mask of respectability and civil order, when in fact underneath he is hateful and treacherous. Xerxes wears his kingship like a mask to rule his kingdom, but underneath it he is vulnerable and desperate for love and companionship. And Esther, finally, hides her heritage from everyone at the palace.
The "mask" that Esther wears allows her to cover her Jewish identity and to persist in the company of people who are plotting against the Jews. When she takes this mask off, and reveals who she really is, this act is so powerful that it reverses the fortunes of the Jews, and of Haman and Mordecai.
Masks really are powerful in this story, and I think setting one of our songs against the backdrop of a Persian masquerade festival of some sort would make for a very cool scene.
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