Panaboan fulfilling dreams in New York
A 27-YEAR-OLD Panaboan multi-talented lady is now slowly fulfilling her dreams in New York.
Jommy Gentiles spent her whole life in Panabo City, Davao del Norte until she left to chase her dreams in The Big Apple at the start of 2017. Two years since she arrived there, this promising theatre artist already has so much to share, especially the opportunities she never thought she would achieve in just a matter of two years.
Let us know her more and get inspired by her unending commitment and determination. Here is my online interview with her:
Showblitz, Etc.: While you were still here, what kept you busy apart from school?
Jommy: Back in college I was an active member of the Ateneo Carillion Glee Club. We would sing at school functions and compete around the Philippines as well. I also joined Songspell Philippines, Inc. when I was eight, but I left two years after that. I went back some time in 2008. So when I graduated and started working, I had to leave Carillion (my last performance being the Vivaldi Concert.) But I got to stay with Songspell until 2015 since we only rehearse on Saturdays.
SE: When did you discover your love for theatre arts?
Jommy: I have always loved performing. And I guess I have always known since I was a kid that I have always loved playing someone else whenever my cousin and I played dress-up and “bahay-bahayan” at home. Plus my Mom would enroll us to all dance and singing classes, Songspell included. And 10 years after, I got to watch Songspell’s 2008 homecoming concert, and their performance of Les Miserable’s One Day More just made me go, “I want that!” It felt like I was brought to another dimension. I have not stopped thinking about performing onstage since then.
SE: What makes theatre arts special?
Jommy: I do not think that theatre arts is more special than film or television, because they are special in their own accord. But my teachers say this a lot, and I believe it to be true, the thing that makes theatre different is that it is an actor’s medium. When you are onstage feeling what you feel, doing what you do, it is not just limited to a certain frame, it is a whole-body experience.
SE: What makes someone an exemplary artist?
Jommy: An artist’s main objective is to be always be truthful in response to whatever stimuli there is in the imaginary circumstance he or she is in, and you cannot response truthfully if you’re not listening. So the entirety of an actor’s being should be skilled at listening, because that’s the foundation of great acting.
SE: Why New York? What makes it extraordinary?
Jommy: I have always wanted to be on Broadway, that’s why I chose New York. It’s the hub for everything. There are always new plays, new works, and new artists. The opportunities are boundless! And if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.
When asked where she could be five years from now, the pride of Davao was quick to say, “Five years from now, an off-broadway or a broadway show. It does not even have to be a musical...and a green card!”
Jommy shared, too, that it has been her goal to inspire more people; that “despite everything that’s wrong in the world and that I at least get to touch people through the stage and music.”
As of now, Jommy is preparing for an off-broadway showcase under The Actor’s Project NYC (TAPNYC), a company that helps an artist land representation.
Keep inspiring, dear! Soar high!
###
For comments and suggestions, please feel free to reach me at mendoza.jennygrace@gmail.com.