BIOGRAPHY
Education:
1960-1967: Royal College, Colombo, Sri Lanka – General Sciences
1973-1975: Woodbury University, Los Angeles, CA, USA – BS in Communications & Public Relations
1975-1978: Columbia College, North La Brea, Hollywood, CA, USA – MA in Cinematography & Television Production
1978 : UCLA Extension – Post Production Course in Cinema
1984 : Passed CBEST
1987 : UC-Riverside, CA, USA – Followed Adult Education Courses
Work:
1968-1970: University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka – Administrative Clerk
1970-1973: Bank of Ceylon, Sri Lanka – Accounts Clerk
1978-1983: Western center on Law and Poverty, Los Angeles CA, USA – Messenger, Library Assistant, Administrative Assistant
1984-1986: Hemet School District, California, USA – Substitute Teacher
1987 – date: Mt San Jacinto College, Community Education, CA, USA – Instructor in Video, Theater, and Art Media (Water Color, Acrylic, Pastel, Line Drawing)
Activities & Honors:
- Established several theater workshops in Hemet, San Jacinto, and Banning Senior communities
- Chairman Valley Writer’s Guild in Hemet and San Jacinto Valley (1990-1995)
Compiled and edited two (2) anthologies of writers in the valley (Kaleidoscope I (1992) and II (1993)
- Judge for hemet Valley Art Association
- Consultant and Producer for Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (1980)
- Demonstrate Drawing Techniques, Water Color and Acrylic techniques to various art groups
- Do “One Man Show” with music, art, comedy, and drama in various communities in San Jacinto Valley
and Houston TX, Springfield MA, Hartford CT, Melbourne Australia, and Sri Lanka.
- Helped in introducing first TV Station (ITN) to Sri Lanka from US in 1978.
- Created a 20 minute musical program to represent Sri Lanka in the World Festival of Sacred Music in Los Angeles (Oct 1999).
- Sang a song about Los Angeles for it’s 200th Birthday in 1981 at LA Coliseum.
Prizes Won
Black and White Art Prize, Royal College, 1963.
Dr D L spittle Water Color Senior Prize, Royal College, 1965.
All Island Bauddha Shisya Chitra Competition 2nd prizes in 1967 and 1968.
Won 7 prizes in the Farmer’s Fair in Riverside County 1991 in four Art categories (Water Color, Acrylic, Pastel, and Line Drawing).
2nd place in One Act Play script competition held by Sanskruthika Sangamaya Sri Lanka in 1968 for the play Maha Muhudata Meha.
1st prize in the Stage play script competition held by Aloka Rangha Sabha, Sri Lanka in 1969 for the play Kandu Sikarai Gamburu Helai.
1st prize and the Sarachchandra Award for the best play script for the play Rosa Pata Punchi Geka in 1970 for the competition held by Pahan Pela, Sri Lanka.
1st and 3rd prizes for two short stories in Pahan Pela Short Stories competition, 1970.
Golden Poet Award from the American World of Poetry for the poem No More Dragons in 1985.
D R Wijewardena Memorial Award – Honorable Mention for the novel Dona Luisa Sadaneege Kathawen Kotasaki in 1987.
Short Story of the Month of June 1993 contest held by Divaina newspapers for the short story Ice Palam.
D R Wijewardena Memorial Award for the best novel Pawuru Bendi Rajjaya in 1994.
