New York Premiere
The Public Theater and Ma-Yi Theater Company Present
SUMO
By Lisa Sanaye Dring
Directed by Ralph B. Peña
A co-production of Ma-Yi Theater Company and La Jolla Playhouse
Step into the intense world of sumo wrestling with “SUMO,” a powerful play by Tow Playwright-in-Residence Lisa Sanaye Dring. Set in a sumo stable, this gripping drama follows the lives of six wrestlers, including Akio, an ambitious newcomer, and Mitsuo, a seasoned veteran on the brink of becoming a Yokozuna. As they grapple with tradition, ambition, and their own personal demons, the audience is drawn into a world where every victory is hard-won. With its innovative staging that blends ancient rituals with modern theatrical techniques, “SUMO” is more than a play—it’s an immersive experience.
Don’t miss your chance to see this extraordinary production by Ma-Yi Theater Company and The Public Theater. Be part of a journey where the stakes couldn’t be higher, and the only way to win is to fight.
Obie-winner Ralph B. Peña (Chinese Lady) directs this powerhouse drama.
This program is generously supported by Salman and Vienn Al-Rashid.
Directions
About the Playwright
Lisa is a Tow Playwright-in-Residence, writer and director from Hilo, Hawaii and Reno, Nevada. Her play SUMO was produced by La Jolla Playhouse and Ma-Yi Theater Company in 2023, and will be receiving its New York premiere at The Public Theater with Ma-Yi next year. Her play Kairos is currently receiving a Rolling World Premiere in three cities with National New Play Network. Lisa has won an Edgerton Award, a Broadway World Award for Best New Play, and the PLAY LA Stage Raw/Humanitas Prize. They have been a finalist for the Relentless Award, the O’Neill Playwrights’ Conference (2x), the Seven Devils Playwrights Conference, and a 2x finalist (one honorable mention) for the Bay Area Playwrights Festival. Kaidan Project: Walls Grow Thin, a piece she co-wrote with Chelsea Sutton, was nominated for 7 Ovation Awards including Best Production (winner of 5). Lisa’s work has also been developed/produced by The Geffen, The New Group, Actors Theatre of Louisville, East West Players, Circle X, SCF @ Son of Semele, Antaeus Theater Company, Playwrights’ Arena, UCSB Launch Pad Series, CalArts and Skylight Theatre. They have worked with Meow Wolf and have been awarded fellowships at MacDowell, Blue Mountain Center and Yaddo. She was awarded the 2021 Dorothy and Granville Hicks Residency at Yaddo, which honors one promising young writer a year. She received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Interactive Programming for a piece she co-wrote and co-directed with Matt Hill called Welcome to the Blumhouse Live.
About the Director
Ralph B. Peña is an Obie Award-winning theater director and filmmaker based in New York City. He currently serves as the Producing Artistic Director for Ma-Yi Theater Company. His recent directorial projects include the Yale Repertory’s The Far Country, the world premiere of Lisa Sanaye Dring’s SUMO at La Jolla Playhouse and Ma-Yi, and Lloyd Suh’s The Chinese Lady, which received multiple nominations including Drama Desk and Lortel Awards across several theaters such as The Public Theater, Indiana Rep, Long Wharf Theater, Barrington Stage, and more. His work extends to directing Michael Lew’s Tiger Style! at South Coast Repertory and Daniel K. Isaac’s ONCE UPON A (korean) TIME for Ma-Yi. Ralph also directed Hansol Jung’s Among The Dead and the award-winning The Wong Kids by Lloyd Suh, which won the Off Broadway Alliance Best Children’s Play. He wrote and directed the short film Vancouver, recognized at Cannes World Film Festival and received the 2023 UNIMA Citation of Excellence. Additionally, he created the documentary Twenty Years of Asian American Playwriting for PBS / ALL ARTS.