Growing into the role Waroff gets a kick out of playing Santa
SM PLAYHOUSE John Waroff, a fixture at the Santa Monica Playhouse for more than 30 years, gets a kick out of playing Santa Claus every December — a kick in the shins that is.
Having become Santa Monica’s jolly ole’ Saint Nick, Waroff, an actor and associate director of the playhouse, has seen those who have been naughty and those who have been nice. He prefers the latter.
“There’s something special about being Santa Claus,” said Waroff, a 61-year-old thespian with a fluffy white and brown beard, glasses and a pleasant, calm demeanor reminiscent of the red-cheeked resident of the North Pole. “You experience some of the sweet things about kids and some of the really rotten things about kids. Many times I’ve been Santa Claus and I’ll be in the lobby handing out candy canes after a show and some little kid will come along and kick me right in the shin for no reason.
“And the greed level gets to you a little bit. I have sympathy for the guys (playing Santa) in the mall and stuff,” Waroff said. “It’s all, ‘I want, I want, I want.’ You know, Christmas is the greatest form of bribery. It makes kids be good in December.”
But playing Santa isn’t all that bad, otherwise he wouldn’t do it year after year. Waroff has the opportunity every holiday to make someone’s Christmas special, to touch someone’s heart and help remind them what the spirit of the season truly is — and it’s not about buying stuff, but about bringing loved ones together.
“What’s really special is seeing the smiles on people’s faces,” when they leave the theater, he said. “Sometimes you see tears in their eyes … And then you have the kids coming up to you and giving you a big hug. I will never get tired of that.
“Getting kicked in the shins is different,” Waroff said with a smile. “But when they hug you, it’s really worth it.”
That’s why Waroff has grown out his John Waroff, Associate director of the Santa Monica Playhouse and Santa Monica’s Santa Claus
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 3, 2007. Read the original PDF.