Being a Santa or Mrs. Claus actor is rough this year in one sense—as interactions with the characters have changed drastically. Some are suiting up and offering visits from behind plexiglass, but others are suiting up and making video calls. Don White, age 79, and Mary Rogers, age 73 are two of many actors who have taken their job digital this year, and White says they’re “expecting to triple or quadruple our income this season.” He adds, “We went from not thinking we’d be busy at all this year to being busier than ever; we started earlier, before Thanksgiving, too. Parents are desperate to find entertainment and something for their kids to do.” Mary’s son, Josh, runs VisitFromTheClauses.com, connecting the actors with their clients. Some bigger companies have employed a similar tactic this year, including Macy’s and Sam’s Club—with the latter offering free chat sessions with Santa for its paying members. Cherry Hill Programs, one of the largest providers of Santas in more than 700 shopping malls across the US and Canada, is also offering high-production Zoom calls with Santa via CreateHolidayMagic.com. Another organization, Santa’s Club, just launched in July, and the successful company has about 60 employees, and dozens of Santas—who can earn up to $40 an hour. The company has lots of positive reviews and even uses its own video chat tool (as opposed to Zoom or Skype) and is aiming to be an early leader in virtual visits with Santa.
CNN