INDIA HABITAT CENTRE
Amaltas Hall (Basement Auditorium)
Entrance from Gate No. 3

Friday 2 September 2005 at 7 pm

Entry on first come first served basis

Rakugo is Japan's humorous approach to fundamental human experiences. 
Rakugo can be best described as a Japanese sit-down comedy of comic 
storytelling. Just as there is a stand-up comedy in Western countries, 
there is a sit-down comedy in Japan. The difference is that the 
performer sits on his knees when he performs.

A Rakugo artist wears a traditional Japanese formal dress (kimono), 
sits on a cushion in the middle of a stage and tries to capture the 
audience's imagination with facial expressions and funny stories. He is 
equipped with a folding fan (sensu) and a hand towel (tenugui). These 
items help the performer express and act out the story.

In Rakugo, one performer plays the role of each distinct character by 
himself. There are always several characters in a Rakugo story. The 
performer plays each character by changing voice, facial
expression, mannerisms, speech etc. In most cases, the characters have 
strong stereotypical personalities and characteristics so that as the 
performer switches from one character to another, the audience readily 
detects the change. Rakugo is basically an art of imagination. The 
audience is free to imagine the features of the characters and the 
background.

There are about 300 popular stories which are still performed as 
classic Rakugo in addition to many stories created by the current 
Rakugo artist. The newer stories reflect modern Japanese society and 
are appreciated as are classic stories. Rakugo is one expression of 
Japanese society and culture and can help introduce Japan to other 
cultures.