GILROY
–– Julianne Palma, a part-time theater instructor at Gavilan
College, has the love of theater in her blood.
”
I had one of those performing mothers,
”
Palma joked.
”
Dance for grandma, sing for your friends, she’d say. I grew up
with a closet full of costumes and wigs.
”
Her mother, a cabaret singer, gave up her career to raise a
family in Farmington, Utah.
GILROY –– Julianne Palma, a part-time theater instructor at Gavilan College, has the love of theater in her blood.
“I had one of those performing mothers,” Palma joked. “Dance for grandma, sing for your friends, she’d say. I grew up with a closet full of costumes and wigs.”
Her mother, a cabaret singer, gave up her career to raise a family in Farmington, Utah.
“In a way, I’m living out her dreams,” Palma said. “She directed children’s theater, and she groomed me from an early age for a career in the theater.”
Palma was active in school plays during junior high and high school and got her bachelor’s degree in theater arts at Southern Utah State. She was often cast as the lead in the plays she was in, and her technique was admired by teachers and audiences. But the passion was missing for her.
“I did some very good work in my early acting career, but I wasn’t doing it for me,” she said. “I didn’t think acting was difficult, I thought you bring the talent to the table, memorize your lines and that’s it. It wasn’t until I went to grad school at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco that I got it.”
What she finally “got” changed her view of life, and she instills that energy and passion into her career as both an actor and a teacher.
“I learned so much at the Conservatory: text, voice, yoga, technique. But I also learned that acting is about opening yourself up and being truthful. You have to bare your soul and be knowledgeable about your strengths and your faults. It’s a kind of spirituality that affects how you live life.”
With that new vision, she launched a successful acting career that took her all over the country playing major roles.
“I see the characters as real people, and I take them and the audience on a journey,” she said. “You can’t underestimate the character.”
She has acted, danced and directed at the well regarded Utah Shakespeare Festival; danced with the American Folk Ballet; toured in Alaska; acted at the Kennedy Center in front of an audience of 3,000 people; and locally has acted with the San Jose Repertory Theatre and acted and directed for children at the Sunnyvale California Theatre Center.
“The Shakespeare Festival was a wonderful experience. It’s won a Tony Award. What a great training ground for young actors. The cast is made up of grad students from all over the country and beyond. The sets and costumes are fantastic,” Palma said. “I loved the experience so much that I’ve returned as a director of the green shows and Renaissance Feast.”
Nine years ago, Palma made a career change. She got married, moved to Gilroy and started a family.
“My children are my highest priority,” she said. “I don’t want to be away from home, or take them to L.A., so I’ve changed the shape of my career, and I’ve found a balance as a teacher at Gavilan.”
Marilyn Abad-Cardinelli, director of Gavilan College Theater Department, said Palma came highly recommended.
“She had impressive credentials,” Abad-Cardinelli said. “She was an actress, had worked in children’s theater and was also a choreographer.”
She teaches a regular class at Gavilan, directs the department’s plays for children, and teaches at Gavilan’s Summer Theatre Arts Repertory (STAR), a program that helps introduce young people to the performing arts as participants, rather than spectators. Abad-Cardinelli described her as “part time with full-time energy.”
“Julianne jumped at the chance to be part of the STAR TV program,” said Abad-Cardinelli, who founded STAR and is the executive producer of the Gavilan TV station.
“At Gavilan, it’s just the beginning,” Palma said. “If they discover the passion, they can move on to a year program and beyond, but any student can learn life lessons and get a deep appreciation for the theater. When I teach, I ask each student why they are taking the class. Theater can transform a student. If they aren’t fitting in with the world, theater can give them feelings of love, empowerment and inspiration. I’d rather see them grow than get a good grade.”
Cherise Mantia is a theater student at Gavilan and has taken three classes with Palma.
“I like her style of teaching,” Mantia said. “I learn something important every time I’m in her class. I’ve seen myself grow. I feel she has helped me look deeper inside myself.”
“For those who want to continue, I tell them the truth about the industry,” Palma said. “Acting is not for the feint of heart. It’s competitive, and you’re often told you’re not talented enough, not pretty enough. But if you can’t help but want to act, I can teach the students ways to cope through self love, belief, dedication and determination.”
Mantia acts in the Gavilan productions as well as at the Milpitas Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre.
“Julianne has helped me get acting work and taught me how to work with a variety of people,” she said. “She’s so professional. When I’ve been working on characters or projects I often stop and think: How would Julianne do this?”
Palma also works with children as the artistic director of STAR and STAR video programs. STAR is a Gavilan College theater arts program for young people ages 8 through 15 offering workshops in acting, singing and dancing. STAR Video is a TV-arts program for young people ages 11 through 16 offering workshops on performing, videography and television production.
“The children really get to flex their wings. They learn about acting for theater and TV, how to audition for a part, and how to put a resume together,” Palma said.
Getting back to acting when her children are older and a desire to write plays are in Palma’s future. But she enjoys inspiring her students to find that passion she found in the theater.
“She’s got the Midas Touch,” Mantia said. “Her vision makes things come alive.”
Valerie Brockbank can be reached at
vr*******@ea*******.net
.
