Japanese Sit-Down Comedy To Be Staged In Cebu

CEBU, Philippines - The Japan Foundation, Manila and the Consular Office of Japan in Cebu present a unique traditional Japanese performance art called "English Rakugo! Japanese Sit-Down Comedy in English" on Saturday, September 26, 2009, 7pm at the Ayala Center Cinema I. Admission is free. Rakugo is a comic monologue in which a storyteller creates an imaginary drama through episodic narration. Dating back to the 17'~century, rakugo stories usually reflect traditional concepts and values narrated humorously which remain meaningful and entertaining today.

The rakugo is somewhat similar to American stand-up comedy wherein there is only one pedormer onstage doing a comic monologue or acting out a story.

However, rakugo, literally meaning a story with a witty ending, is a "sit-down" comedy where the performer sits atop a small mattress on stage throughout his performance. Additionally, a rakugo performer wears a traditional Japanese kimono and is usually equipped with a fan and a hand cloth which he skillfully employs to express various situations.

Returning to Cebu, is Kaishi Katsura, one of the major English Rakugo performers in Japan. Although there are some 300 classic rakugo stories handed down through generations, Katsura is one type of performer who prefers to create his own original material.

Katsura has been a Rakugo performer since 1994 and, like other Rakugo performers, he underwent years of apprenticeship before being deemed worthy of performing the art. As a traditional Japanese art form, the genre requires training, discipline, and perfection to uphold its quality standards.

This is not Katsura's first time in the Philippines. He has performed in Manila and Cebu in 2003 and 2005. An international artist, Katsura had done over 180 performances worldwide. In 2007, Katsura was appointed Cultural Exchange Ambassador by the Agency of Cultural Affairs. "English Rakugo!" will be staged in Cebu on Saturday, September 26, 7:00 pm at the Ayala Center.

This performance is organized by the Japanese Consular Office in Cebu, in cooperation with the Japanese Association in Cebu, lnc., the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Cebu, lnc., and the Ayala Center Cebu.

For more information on the event, you may log on to ClicktheCity.com, official media partner of the JFM, or the Japan Foundation Manila website: www.ifmo.org.~h.