Fellowship Awarded to Author/Playwright, Jon Shirota
The Japan-United States Friendship Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts recently announced that author/playwright, Jon Shirota, has been awarded a Creative Artist Exchange Fellowship for Japan in 2005-2006. In addition, the official sponsor will be the Bunkacho, the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan.
Starting in April, Jon and his wife, Barbara, will be residing in Naha, Okinawa for six months where he will be affiliated with the University of the Ryukyus as a resident writer and will be conducting his research and studies on Okinawan culture and Okinawan immigration. Barbara, a retired school teacher, will volunteer as a teacher at local schools.
Jon Shirota who was born in Maui, Hawaii, graduated from Baldwin High School in Maui and graduated from Brigham Young University in Utah. He joined the Handy Writes Colony founded by James Jones, author of "From Here To Eternity," where he finished his first novel "Lucky Come Hawaii." The novel was adapted into a play and awarded the John F. Kennedy Center Award for new American plays.
He was also awarded the Rockefeller Foundation Grant, the American College Festival Award, and the Los Angeles County Cultural Affairs Award. Jon has received recognition from the State of Hawaii for his novels, "Lucky Come Hawaii" and "Pineapple White." In addition, the Okinawan Association of America has bestowed him a Certificate of Commendation and the East-West Players honored him with the Made in America Award.
The East-West Players in Los Angeles, California and Kumu Kahua Theatre in Honolulu produced one of Jon's play called "Leilani's Hibiscus." The play was translated into Japanese, and produced in Okinawa, Los Angeles and Tokyo. In addition, Jon's one-act play, "Ripples in the Pond," was published by Smith and Kraus Books for the Best Stage Scenes in 1992.
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