Mr. Rath is a puckish 65-year-old whose cherubic smile masks a sharp political mind.
Most of Khairul Kabir's customers at the Madison Deli and Grocery in East Harlem do not realize that his jovial smile masks a lingering sense of shame.
The Beijing Olympics, he says, is propaganda: a "fake smile" masking the country's "disgusting" politics, troubled society and foul environment.
The stage is a swirl of shadows, from which figures loom fleetingly: lanky David Bartholomew intoning lessons in Polish; Chris Evans and Anna Finkel as attentive parents to a wide-eyed puppet-daughter; Ryen Perkins-Gangnes as the husband whose companionable smile masks solitary torments.
His reticent smile masked an indomitable spirit, admirably stubborn aspirations and a commitment to educate the next generation, represented in his own talented children, Amandla, Themba and Jamila, who survive him, as does Adwina.
But in his first set on Tuesday night, Dr. John conjured a darker New Orleans, full of shady characters and shadowy portents, where a knowing smile masks heartbreak and troubled memories.
8 P.M. (National Geographic) HOW IT WAS: SECRETS OF MONA LISA Each year millions of visitors stand before the woman whose smile masks one of the world's great mysteries: Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa," shielded by bulletproof glass at the Louvre in Paris.
A hardy smile masking his exhaustion, Mr. Franks spent a 16-hour day dashing on and off his campaign bus, the Straight Talk Express, as it wove through the state's midsection, stopping off at diners, train stations and a series of modest rallies organized by his staff.
Cuny's smile masks a slight wince.
