The Zonta Club of Hilo will honor professor Jackie Pualani Johnson with its biennial Rose Award of Excellence during a dinner event at 5:30 p.m. March 14 at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel.
The Zonta Club of Hilo will honor professor Jackie Pualani Johnson with its biennial Rose Award of Excellence during a dinner event at 5:30 p.m. March 14 at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel.
The Zonta Rose Award of Excellence recognizes women who have made a significant impact on the lives of others through their employment, volunteer activities and associations. The award is part of Zonta International’s observance of International Women’s Day and Zonta Rose Day. Zonta’s mission is to empower women through service and advocacy.
“Zonta Hilo is proud to play a part in celebrating Jackie’s extraordinary achievements and contributions to the arts, education and throughout the community,” said Julie Tulang, Zonta Hilo service chairwoman. “For nearly four decades, Jackie has worn many hats — teacher, mentor, performer, director — inspiring and sparking creativity wherever she goes.”
Johnson was born and raised in Hilo. She is a graduate of St. Joseph High School, where she began singing under the direction of Clarence Waipa. Johnson received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in drama from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
She has performed hula and chanted oli for international audiences and played a number of roles in local theater productions, including Golde in “Fiddler on the Roof” and Mrs. Lovett in “Sweeney Todd.” Johnson helped organize, and appeared in, Hilo Community Players’ Shakespeare in the Park, now in its 39th year.
For the outdoor summer production’s 25th anniversary, she fulfilled a lifelong dream, presenting a pidgin version of a Shakespeare classic re-titled “One Uddah Mid’summah.”
Johnson is professor and chairwoman of the Performing Arts Department at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, where she began teaching in 1979. She has directed more than 70 productions and plans to retire from UH-Hilo in May 2017.
Recently, she acted in and directed historical performances for Kona Historical Society including “Isabella Bird at Kealapuali,” “Kona Coffee Days” and “A Visit to Kalukalu” as well as scripts based on the lives of female monarchs in Hawaii, including Queen Kaahumanu and Queen Liliuokalani.
For more information about the Zonta Rose Award event or to purchase tickets ($25, includes dinner), contact Ashley Kierkiewicz at 989-4004, email alk@hastingsandpleadwell.com or visit zontahilo.org by March 9.