Leaves just starting to turn, but Santa getting prepped
Having just bought presents for his young niece and newborn nephew, Raymond Krassel strides toward the parking lot of Oakbrook Center when he answers the call for help.
"Casting Call: Santa needs your help!" reads a small sign near the mall's new Fireplace Pavilion.
The leaves on the trees are just starting to turn colors, but malls are hiring Santas, elves, greeters, photographers and the crew needed to man Santa's workshops this holiday season.
"I just saw the sign, and I like acting," says Krassel, a 26-year-old union carpenter who appeared in several theater productions as a kid growing up in the south suburbs.
"I played the monkey in 'Aladdin,'" says Krassel, who successfully answers questions during his on-the-spot job interview. He boasts an almost Santa-like beard but says he'll probably apply online for a part-time job as an elf.
"The No. 1 rule here at Santa's workshop is, 'When the fat man is on the floor, look busy,'" reads a handout for prospective elves. Applicants are asked questions such as, "How do you keep Christmas alive all year round?"; "Are you familiar with how to use a tablet?"; and "Do you enjoy wearing costumes?"
The sheet also warns elves, "Don't listen to rumors about Mrs. Claus and the Easter Bunny, and especially don't mention those rumors to Santa - and especially don't mention it to him after he's had more than two glasses of eggnog."
Humor will be a big part of this year's Santa's workshop at Oakbrook Center, one of a handful of malls around the nation that will feature DreamWorks Animation's first attempt at transforming the traditional holiday scene into a multimedia experience. Using an app to make appointments with Santa, children will sit in a 2,000-square-foot cottage with giant video screens that will show "an immersive, eye-popping journey with Shrek and his friends as they guide children and families to the North Pole," says a DreamWorks news release. Shrek leads the way to the jolly, old elf. After lap time with Santa and a photo, children will exit through a gift shop featuring lots of Shrek merchandise.
Having portrayed Santa Claus for 25 years, Paul Eggert of Aurora never had to audition for the part. With his natural long, white beard and a twinkle in his eyes, Eggert just found himself in demand to play Santa for his son's Cub Scout troop, his church, charities, community groups and as the lead character on a Santa train.
Older boys sometimes tug to check if his beard is real. Some kids are huggers and others are screamers. Some won't say a word, and others can't stop talking. Parents often obsess about their desire to capture the perfect photograph. But Eggert says the job of Santa boils down to one simple philosophy.
"For the most part, it's how you deal with kids," says Eggert, who can change his demeanor and adjust his Ho-Ho-Hos to make a child comfortable. "I always try to put myself in the shoes of the kids."
Whether a child can't wait to chat with Santa or is dreading the moment, the wait creates anxiety, Eggert says. He does research on popular toys and gadgets, watches parents for clues about gift expectations, turns into a social worker or counselor on occasion and always has an answer ready for every question about reindeers, chimneys, elves, cookies, Mrs. Claus or the physics of his deliveries.
"It's magic," Eggert says, "and then I try to bring them back to the naughty or nice question."
He's learned it's a good idea to wear black boots with steel-tipped toes and to always drape his lap in an absorbent red towel, just in case a child has an accident.
"Santa Claus has to be pretty fast on his feet," Eggert says.
Quick with a smile, Krassel says he would love the opportunity to dress up in pointy ears and an elf costume and handle whatever kids and parents bring his way.
"If it involves bringing some kind of Christmas joy to kids, why not?" Krassel says. "Because everyone grows up and loses sight of that."