Spotlight Series: Hector Garza

As department chair for Fine and Performing Arts & Speech Communication, Hector Garza plays an important role in the arts and culture found at 帕洛阿尔托 大学.

In 2016, Hector Garza joined the 帕洛阿尔托 大学 team as an artistic director tasked with revamping the theater program with the objective of making it into something that mattered to the 大学, 学生, and the surrounding community.

"When I got here four years ago, I made the concerted effort to change the theater program into something special, and I had someone sitting in this chair who gave me the resources, 避难所, and the go-ahead to build something here that wasn't here before,加尔扎说。.

For Garza, it was important to include programming relevant to the South Side community. "Our major mission is to produce theater for our community,加尔扎说。. "I branded Teatro 帕洛阿尔托 to pay homage to where we are. We're on the South Side. We cater to the community we serve, which is 97 percent Latino. About 76 percent of our students are Latinx, so it made sense for us to program for that demographic."

Although Garza has stepped into his new role as department chair, he is still the artistic director for Teatro 帕洛阿尔托. While official roles are important to him, he's most passionate about the impact that the arts have on the students and audiences.

"My biggest philosophy on performance and art is... [that it] is supposed to create a dialogue, and dialogue is the only thing that can create change,加尔扎说。. "We produce so much here, and we produce really high-quality stuff; but the thing that matters most is that we take our students with us on the journey."

With many shows under his belt, Garza also directed Teatro 帕洛阿尔托's latest show, titled Mariachi Girl, which tells the story of Carmen, a determined young girl who dreams of becoming a mariachi despite her father's objections.

"It's a great show,加尔扎说。. "We have a live band, which is all student based, performing in the play, which is pieced together from the music department as well as the 大学's Marching Mariachi Band."

As a proponent for the 大学's mission to inspire and empower the community, Garza believes in the power of the arts to make a lasting impact on students.

"I am confident that the arts are a mainstay here at 帕洛阿尔托 大学 forever,加尔扎说。.

To learn more about past, present, and future Teatro 帕洛阿尔托 shows, visit ourbabyplace.com/pac/teatro.