IJPAN, the Illinois Japan Performing Arts Network, presents a webcast of a staged reading of *Strolling Invader*, a new play being performed at the Japan Society of New York.  This performance will be broadcast live on Monday, April 1 at 6:30 p.m. central time in the Dance Rehearsal Krannert (DRK) Studio at the Krannert Center for Performing Arts on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, as well as online at our website (ijpan.ncsa.illinois.edu).  Playwright Tomohiro Maekawa will join the post-performance Q&A via live-streamed video broadcast from Japan.  IJPAN will incorporate dynamic projections superimposed over the streaming video to enhance the performance for our live audience.

*Strolling Invader *is set in a small harbor town in Japan where, one by one, residents begin to lose their understanding of once familiar concepts such as “family,” “ownership” and “freedom.” These strange incidents are eventually linked to one resident, Shinji, who has been wandering around talking to his neighbors ever since his body and mind were taken over by an alien performing preparatory research on human beings before invading earth! *Tomohiro Maekawa**, *rising star playwright and director/founder of Ikiume Theater Company in Tokyo, is recognized for his illustrations of human emotion through bizarre sci-fi and horror stories. *Aya Ogawa*, New York-based writer, director, performer, translator and founder of knife inc., will translate Maekawa’s story and lead a cast of Americans in this staged reading.  For more information, visit the Japan Society website http://www.japansociety.org/event/strolling-invader.

The performance viewing on the University of Illinois campus is free.  The Krannert Center for Performing Arts is located at 500 S Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801.  For any questions, please email
ijpan-webmaster@illinois.edu