Interview: Julanne Chidi Hill On Her Career & Her GREAT JHERI CURL DEBATEs

Next up at East West Players, playwright Inda Craig-Galván's The Great Jheri Curl Debate opening September 17 (with previews beginning September 15). Scarlett Kim directs the cast of Julanne Chidi Hill, Ryun Yu, Ray Baker, Mildred Marie Langford and Bruce A. Lemon Jr. I got the chance to pepper Julanne, a frequent player in the Los Angeles theatre scene, with a few queries on Jheri Curl and her productive career.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Julanne!

What cosmic forces brought you into the world of this production of The Great Jheri Curl Debate?

Cosmic forces?! All around us! Connecting us! Resonance is powerful!

Yes. Partly through the cosmic forces. The play Black Super Hero Magic Mama was my first direct introduction. The people she creates are complex and authentically human. There are so many layers to the characters and their stories to be explored. A constant reveal for the actor as well as the audience.

What would our three-line pitch of The Great Jheri Curl Debate be?

Magic and the road to self-discovery where two parallel worlds are mashed together, intertwined and something beautiful comes out of it.

You play the lead character of Veralynn Jackson. If you were to submit Veralynn on an online dating site, what qualities of hers would you list?

Great Conversationalist, A creative with gifted hands and a huge heart. Proud Mother

What flaws would you definitely leave out?

She has a tendency to pry!

I have seen you on many a Los Angeles stage in the past decade. Have you worked with any of the Jheri Curl cast or creatives before?

No, but this journey has been lovely. We are all oddly connected though. Cosmic Forces.

You teach acting, speech, and devised theatre at CalArts, as well as coaching actors. What gives you more gratification: killing it on stage? Or seeing the light bulb moment in a struggling student?

I teach all those things, yes, but at CalArts specifically, I teach Speech. They are equally gratifying. In different ways. I can only hope that I can kill it on stage, but the theatre is magical. There's always an opportunity for growth, learning and exploration. The stage is home. Teaching gives those very same opportunities. I'm constantly saying teaching is learning. It's truly inspiring the be a small part of a young artists journey. It's not the light bulb moment where they get what I'm teaching but the awareness of discovery and the development of process. It's exciting, special and they make me a better artist.

Is there one rule of speech that you also pass onto your acting students?

There's not one rule. While Speech is technical, I encourage the exploration of sound and words and how visceral they can be. How does that inform the text, character, world, and so on, but also how do those things inform Speech! Find the artistic value.

Is there one piece of advice from a former teacher or mentor you continuously follow?

There are many. Two things that come to mind (which I'm sure my students and clients would say I am constantly repeating) are "First lesson is concentration" and "There's always another choice." Thinking about this makes me smile.

If financial compensation were not a factor, which entertainment medium would you prefer to share your talents? Stage? TV? Film?

I enjoy all three. They're all important, allowing stories to reach and affect people in different ways. Theatre is my first love. There's a unique immediacy and collaborative energy that emerges when an ensemble creates a live experience. There's a certain freedom and play that only exists on the stage.

What's in the near future for Julanne Chidi Hill?

School is starting soon. I'm looking forward to getting back to campus. Seeing the old students and meeting the new.

Thank you again, Julanne! I look forward to seeing you kill it on stage again.

Thank you so much for this. I'm often too shy to share. And you're so kind saying that I kill it on stage. Can't wait for you to see the show!

For tickets to the live performances of The Great Jheri Curl Debate through October 9, 2022; click on the button below:

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