The experience of watching people come together to create great moments on stage has always been at the heart of Geri Neylan’s favorite art form.

“Miraculous things can happen when you work together, and that’s what that theatre is to me,” Neylan said, looking back on her 35 years in education, much of it in creating and teaching drama programs.

On Thursday, Nov. 16, Tracy Unified School District will dedicate and rename the Kimball High arts theatre as the Geri Neylan Performing Arts Theatre.

Neylan has been a teacher for 35 years, teaching grades 3 to 12 and specializing in drama programs. Neylan started her career by teaching for seven years in her hometown of Castro Valley. In 1993, she made the move to the Tracy Unified School District , teaching at many schools across the district, but spending a vast amount of her time at Poet-Christian Elementary School and Kimball.

Being the youngest of eight siblings, Neylan found her voice when participating in her first musical, ‘Oklahoma!’ as a student at Castro Valley High School in 1979 at the age of 15. “It opened me up to a whole new world and helped me find my voice,” mentioned Neylan, who knew that she wanted to give every student the same opportunity she had, which is to find their voice.

“The community comes out and they are constantly supporting, financially and through their hours of work, however they can. It’s huge, and that’s why it’s successful,” said Neylan of the dozens of community members, staff, and past students who offer support by providing donations and participating in the stage crew, costume creation, and lighting and sound systems.

Upon the establishment of Kimball’s drama program in 2010, Neylan taught three English classes and two drama classes. After producing two musicals that year, Peter Pan and Beauty and the Beast, she ceased teaching English and grew the next year’s drama program to five classes. By the program’s third year, there was a total of eight classes. “The kids were thriving,” said Neylan of her rapidly growing program.

In a full circle moment, Neyland concluded her 35 years in education with the production of ‘Oklahoma!,’ the first musical she took part in as a student. Recently retired, Neylan spends her time traveling with her husband and returning to the classroom to help Kimball’s drama program. She showed her excitement for their next musical, ‘Guys and Dolls.’

“I’m surprised I love retirement so much because I thought it would leave a hole,” mentioned Neylan, who fills that hole by returning to the classroom to help those she left behind.

“I am so honored,” stated Neylan regarding Kimball’s notion to dedicate and rename the theatre after her. “It’s not about Geri Neylan, it’s about the theatre family, it’s about all of us.”

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