Ma-Yi Theater Company

01/25/2025

It’s load in time for SUMO at The Public Theater. Previews start February 20. Have your tickets yet?

01/24/2025

Lisa Sanaye Dring's play SUMO employs a highly physical language that honors the sport and its traditions. Previews begin February 20 The Public Theater. A coproduction with La Jolla Playhouse.

Directed by Ralph B. Peña
Associate Director of Cuteness: Ponyo Dring

Featuring Includes Kris Bona, Red Concepción, Akira Fukui, Michael Hisamoto, Ahmad Kamal, Earl T. Kim, Hank Lin, Haowen Luo 罗浩闻, David Shih, Scott Keiji Takeda, Paco Tolson, Viet Vo, and live taiko drumming by Shih-wei Wu.

Scenic Design: Wilson Chin
Costume Design: Mariko Ohigashi
Lighting Design: Paul Whitaker
Sound Design and Original Music: Fabian Obispo
Hair and Wig Design: Alberto “Albee” Alvarado
Projection Design: Hana S. Kim
Props Design: Thomas Jenkeleit
Taiko Composition: Shih-wei Wu
Sumo Consultant and Co-fight Director: James Yaegashi
Co-fight and Intimacy Director: Chelsea Pace
Dramaturg: Amrita Ramanan
Casting: Calleri, Jensen, Davis
Production Stage Manager: Alyssa K. Howard
Stage Manager: Taeuk Kang
Production Manager: Barry Stagg
SDC Observer/Asst. Director: Jessica Chen

Lisa Sanaye Dring was Ma-Yi Theater's Tow Foundation Resident Playwright for 2024. The Tow Foundation

01/23/2025

Check out this video on the ways physicality plays a large role in Lisa Sanaye Dring’s play SUMO. Preview start February 20. Do you have your tickets tent?

01/23/2025

DISCOVER SUMO, Episode 1: Physicality! 💪

Step into the sacred ring with our new series exploring the physicality, tradition, and humanity behind sumo wrestling and the groundbreaking play SUMO. Join playwright Lisa Sanaye Dring, director Ralph B. Peña, and sumo consultant/co-fight director James Yaegashi as they reveal how the ancient practice comes alive on our stage.

Experience this groundbreaking new play about ambition, brotherhood, and survival.

Stay tuned for more episodes coming soon!

Performances begin soon! Get tickets: thepublic.nyc/SUMO 💥

01/23/2025

The company of SUMO wishes the entire company of CYMBELINE a very happy opening!! National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO)

01/22/2025

Do you have your tickets yet? Things are heating up in the rehearsal room for Lisa Sanaye Dring’s spectacular play SUMO. Previews start February 20.

01/10/2025

SUMO officially began rehearsals this Monday, bringing together powerhouse talent from across the entertainment world. From the haunting voices of Ghost of Tsushima to the bright lights of Broadway's Chicago and Life of Pi, and even the halls of "Grey's Anatomy"—this remarkable cast brings a wealth of experience to create this captivating story.

Learn more about the cast, and grab your tickets now.
https://publictheater.org/productions/season/2425/sumo/?src=177247

TThe Public Theater LLa Jolla Playhouse

Entrenched in an elite sumo training facility in Tokyo, six men practice, eat, love, play, and ultimately fight. Step into the sacred world of sumo wrestling, with the New York premiere of Lisa Sanaye Dring’s mesmerizing new drama, SUMO. 

01/09/2025

Our hearts are with our friends and colleagues in Southern California experiencing this horrible crisis. Above all else, please stay safe.

01/07/2025

It's SUMO's first day of rehearsals. This ship is launching. Now is the time to get your tickets before they are gone.

SUMO by Lisa Sanaye Dring

Tickets here: https://publictheater.org/productions/season/2425/sumo/

The Public Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, Ralph B. Peña

12/22/2024

plays Akio, a young rikishi brimming with ambition to become a great sumo wrestler. His journey collides with the harsh realities of the heya. There he meets the stable’s top dog Mitsuo played by . Mitsuo has no patience for young punks and quickly puts Akio in his place. ’s spectacular play sets these two on a path that will explode the world or sumo. You don’t want to miss it.

12/21/2024

Previews start February 20. Get your tickets early.

12/18/2024

Previews begin February 21. Do you have your tickets yet?

Ambition. Ritual. The Fight for Glory. 🎇

Lisa Sanaye Dring’s breathtaking new play SUMO (相撲) explores the strength, sacrifice, and brotherhood in the sacred and elite world of Japanese sumo wrestling! 🇯🇵 Entrenched in an elite sumo training facility in Tokyo, six men practice, eat, love, play, and ultimately fight for victory and self-discovery.

This is YOUR chance to witness this electrifying story unfold in its New York premiere! Get your tickets now: thepublic.nyc/SUMO 💥 Performances begin Feb 20, 2025!

12/17/2024

Looking for a unique gift for your special someone? Tickets to SUMO makes for a great holiday present. Tickets here: https://publictheater.org/productions/season/2425/sumo/

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A bucket of KFC is Christmas tradition in Japan. “Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakkii."

The Japanese tradition of eating KFC for Christmas is a fascinating and unique cultural phenomenon that has taken root in Japan over the past five decades. It began in 1974 when KFC launched a marketing campaign called “Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakkii” (Kentucky for Christmas). The idea stemmed from a simple observation: Japan lacked a long-standing Christmas meal tradition, and Western-style food was often associated with celebration and modernity. A group of foreign visitors reportedly chose KFC as a substitute for turkey, which was difficult to find in Japan, inspiring the fast-food giant to capitalize on this opportunity.

12/16/2024

Happy holidays from all of us at Ma-Yi Theater Company.

12/14/2024

Generation Now cohorts are busy working on new plays for multigenerational audiences. Supported by Mellon Foundation. Native Voices, Latino Theater Co. at The LATC, Children's Theatre Company, Penumbra Theatre Company.

Generation Now is a collaborative program between five theaters that all share one mission: to expand and diversify the plays that exist for multigeneration ...

12/04/2024

Please consider giving to theater. Thank you.

On this thirteenth annual (created in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y), consider donating to a theater company or theater organization in New York City. Below, a sample, listed alphabetica…

11/26/2024

Ponyo is SUMO's Associate Artistic Director of Cuteness and she thinks tickets to see SUMO at The Public Theater make great gifts.