Sumo
Price range: $15.00 through $15.95
Description
Step into the sacred world of sumo wrestling. Entrenched in an elite sumo training facility in Tokyo, six men practice, eat, love, play, and ultimately fight. Akio arrives as an angry, ambitious 18-year-old with a lot to learn. Expecting validation, dominance, and fame, and desperate to move up the ranks, he slams headlong into his fellow wrestlers. With sponsorship money at stake, their bodies on the line, and their futures at risk, the wrestlers struggle to carve themselves — and one another — into the men they dream of being. SUMO is a thrilling new play set in an elite and rarely explored world.
Production Info
Full Length Drama (about 120 minutes)
Minimal Set Requirements
Contemporary Costumes
Press Quotes
“A riveting, deep exploration of the myriad facets of men, channeled through the lens of culture, tradition and athleticism, told through personal stories of richly fleshed-out fictional characters … SUMO is funny, too. It’s a joyous, sometimes raucously so, night at the theatre, as thrilling as a sports match, deep as a drama, funny as a comedy, tender as a romance, and insightful as a history — highly recommended!” —Stage Biz
“Dring’s writing offers a fascinating, tender, and complicated glimpse into sumo culture in Japan, with nods to its traditional place in society and the reverence it inspires. Theatregoers drawn to underdog stories will love young, scrappy, and hungry Akio and the rest of the rikishi as they wrestle, literally and figuratively, with their own place in the hallowed sport of sumo.” —New York Theatre Guide
“Dring’s exploration in SUMO is both reverent of the sport’s history and paying homage to its spirituality, while infusing a modern narrative and perspective, looking at the sport through the lens of very modern characters … While SUMO is a piece about wrestling and tradition, the play encompasses so much more about humanity, spirituality, and sacrifice. Sumo, as a sport, is mired in honor and strength, and Dring’s play dares to ask us where our true strengths lie and what we value most: winning or community? Can there be space for both strength and compassion? I would argue that Dring is telling us that winning the battle against yourself, that in finding community and losing ego, that that is where she (Sumo) truly lives.” —The Front Row Center
“SUMO is quite the achievement — both an education in an ancient tradition and a deeply moving human story … It is a rare treat to be immersed in a world so unfamiliar to many theatergoers. SUMO not only educates audiences about Japan’s national sport and its deep-rooted Shinto rituals but also delivers a profound and emotionally charged narrative.” —Stage and Cinema
“For those seeking a deeply moving theatrical experience, SUMO delivers a story that lingers long after the final bow. It is a powerful reminder that true strength is not only found in power and dominance — but also in vulnerability, love, and the courage to embrace one’s truth.” —Times Square Chronicles
Author
Lisa Sanaye DringLisa Sanaye Dring is an artist from Hilo, Hawaii and Reno, Nevada. Her play SUMO received a nomination for Outstanding New Play by the Lucille Lortel Awards in 2025. It was produced by La Jolla Playhouse and Ma-Yi Theater Company as well as The Public with Ma-Yi. She is a winner of the 2025 Helen Merrill Award and was the 2024 Tow Foundation Writer-in-Residence with Ma-Yi. Their play KAIROS received a Rolling World Premiere with NNPN. Lisa has won an Edgerton Award, Broadway World Award, and the PLAY LA Stage Raw/Humanitas Prize. They've been a finalist for the Relentless Award, O'Neill Playwrights' Conference (3x), Seven Devils Playwrights Conference, and a 3x finalist (one honorable mention) for the Bay Area Playwrights Festival. Fellowships include MacDowell (2x), Blue Mountain Center and Yaddo. They received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Interactive Programming for co-writing and co-directing a project with Matt Hill. Lisa has worked with The Public Theatre, Ma-Yi Theatre Company, La Jolla Playhouse, The New Group, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Contemporary American Theatre Festival, East West Players, Circle X, Boston Court, Skylight, Red Theatre, Know Theatre of Cincinnati, Rogue Artists Ensemble and Theatre Nova.
Book Information
| Publisher | BPPI |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 12/8/2025 |
| Pages | 78 |
| ISBN | 9798888560716 |
Special Notes
The World Premiere of SUMO was produced and developed by La Jolla Playhouse,
Christopher Ashley, Artistic Director & Debby Buchholz, Managing Director,
and by Ma-Yi Theatre Company,
Ralph B. Peña, Artistic Director
SUMO received its New York Premiere at The Public Theater
in a co-production with The Public Theater,
Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director,
Ma-Yi Theater Company and La Jolla Playhouse,
opening on 5 March 2025
by special arrangement with Broadway Play Publishing Inc, NYC
www.broadwayplaypublishing.com
Production Graphic
Click image to download a Zip file with a high-resolution graphic for production.
