Back to topics

How can one seated performer become several people?

In rakugo, a single storyteller can create a conversation among several characters while remaining seated. Changes in delivery and direction help the audience follow who is speaking, while a fan and cloth can stand in for many objects. The audience supplies much of the scene through imagination.

5–7 min

Questions you could explore

  • What cues let listeners recognize a character without a costume change?
  • How can a small prop represent different objects?

Start reading

Ready to try your ideas aloud?

Your topic carries over. Record up to 2½ minutes, depending on your plan.

Arts and culture

How does a flat drawing make a corridor look deep?

Lines drawn on a flat page can suggest a hallway extending into the distance. In one-point perspective, receding edges relate to a vanishing point and a horizon, linking the drawing to a particular viewpoint.

3–5 min

How does a flat drawing make a corridor look deep?

Arts and culture3–5 minLines drawn on a flat page can suggest a hallway extending into the distance. In one-point perspective, receding edges relate to a vanishing point and a horizon, linking the drawing to a particular viewpoint.

Arts and culture

What can infrared reveal beneath a painting?

A finished painting can conceal decisions made before its visible surface took shape. Infrared imaging sometimes reveals earlier marks, but what appears depends on how the different materials interact with the light.

4–5 min

What can infrared reveal beneath a painting?

Arts and culture4–5 minA finished painting can conceal decisions made before its visible surface took shape. Infrared imaging sometimes reveals earlier marks, but what appears depends on how the different materials interact with the light.

Can a tradition be heritage without a building to preserve?

Arts and culture3–5 minA song, a craft skill, or a shared practice can be passed on without being fixed in stone. Intangible cultural heritage places importance on living knowledge and the communities that recognize and transmit it.

How can one seated performer become several people? | Speech Topic | speaking.app