When Grown-Ups Dress Up

When Halloween fell on a Thursday this year, Dr. Jeri Breiner was not deterred. On the following Saturday, Nov. 2, she brought out the spider webs and threw her post-Halloween party for a “who’s who” crowd of 70 who channeled their inner children and got decked out in impressive costumes.

Starting with the dramatic street décor, Breiner attended to fun details like deviled eggs with “spider webs” and dips in the shape of skulls to add a Halloween theme to the buffet of chicken drumettes, Swedish meatballs, and crudité.

The Simons channeled the disco era. A striped Steve Oppenheimer was found as “Waldo.”

The real show was the guests where the invitation read that “entry required a costume.” Breiner herself greeted guests in a professionally decked witch outfit blowing kisses through her veil. The McWhirter family came with infant in tow dressed as a lamb accompanied by Penny Eisenstein as a Red Cross worker.

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A most elaborate Scott Kenith was downed in full black and gold Pharaoh garb along with his sorceress, Shelley Gerson. Plum and Jonathan Simon were a lively hippy disco pair in bold colors, twirls, and a red curly wig. Somehow Steve Oppenheimer popped into the picture as “Where’s Waldo” in a red striped night cap and black round glasses. Eric and Kara Breiner recreated Wayne’s World as Mike Meyers and Garth Algar.

This group was a combo of sheep, lamb, and a Red Cross nurse.

Eric’s parents, Margaret and Joel Breiner, well, had on masks. But wait, an imposter, Joel Eisenberg, had his own interpretation with a similar Page Boy brown shag wig as Mike Meyers. The chief difference being that Joel’s spouse, Suzanne, appeared as a proper British woman in her spectacles and black fascinator hat. Lewis (Reggie) Regenstein and Bonnie Wolloff portrayed a couple one might find in a “Gunsmoke” swinging door saloon with the substitution of a witch instead of Miss Kitty.

The Atlanta Jewish Times staff held nothing back when it came to off-the-wall creativity. Art Director Lilli Jennison rocked as Wednesday Addams with a human hand on her shoulder. Managing Editor Sasha Heller, dressed as a Jewish Freddie Mercury, wore a bold red military jacket, sexy black moustache and oversized, Air Jordan-inspired sneaker-slippers.

Administrative assistant Ronit Pinsky had a fetching Little Red Riding Hood outfit with a crossed bustier that echoed a Swiss Miss. Senior account manager Michal Bonnel “rode” a Western theme. Fellow account manager Ilyssa Klein accompanied her witch outfit with hot pink hair. Events and PR coordinator Katie Gaffin dressed as Lorelai from “Gilmore Girls,” and online content coordinator Jillian Gerson went as Princess Leia from “Star Wars.”

Jeri and Michael greeted guests as they entered the party.

Publisher deluxe Michael Morris made for a dashing figure as a Renaissance-themed nobleman while this writer recreated a holy slant in a nun habit after seeing the new movie, “Conclave.”

A bone of contention was the Florida-Georgia football game, which played on a big screen in the living room and brought out a lot of posturing as Georgia ultimately took the win.

Parties are over in a blink to deal with the next morning’s hangover. The party also featured a touch of tzedakah as guests contributed to the Atlanta Humane Society in the hostess’s honor.

Bottom line: Howling good party when adults step out and pretend to be someone else.