Toronto raconteur draws laughs with rakugo

PHOTO: ALEC JORDAN

A Toronto native is performing traditional Japanese comedy in New York City. In an October 8 article published by The Mainichi English-language website, storyteller Katsura Sunshine (Gregory Robic) explains that, after studying the craft with masters in Japan, he started performing rakugo — Japan’s 400-year-old take on stand-up comedy, where the comedian actually sits down. Sunshine began his off-Broadway run at the New World Stages in September, and says that, while it took longer to happen than he had expected, it’s “a dream come true.” Sunshine’s run is expected to end in January but could go longer if the show is popular enough.

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