Sumo@The Public Theater
Marcus David
March 2025
By Lisa Sanaye Dring
A co-production of Ma-Yi Theater Company and La Jolla Playhouse
Directed by Ralph B. Peña
“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. “
The spectacle of the ring, with all its violence and glory, is the setting for The Public’s fantastic new production “SUMO”, and while offering up cutting edge visual extravaganza, this new play by Lisa Sanaye Dring also manages to excite us with a wonderful glimpse into the highly regimented lives of the men engaged in the sport of professional Sumo wrestling in Japan. The ancient art of Sumo wrestling transcends time with its spiritual traditions and “SUMO” does an excellent job at exploring these complexities by bringing us into to the private world of a communal training stable where the wrestlers put their bodies on the line and their futures at risk everyday.
Sumo wrestlers are renowned for their great girth and body mass and that is not lost in this brave production as the audience is confronted with the fleshy landscapes of the six nearly nude and hefty characters, as they train, fight and live out their rarified lives with much at stake. They all have a chance to achieve near godlike status, but they can also fall hard and lose it all. The actors deliver quite remarkable performances as they themselves present the sport in stunning realism, making the choreography of the fights exciting to watch.
To make it as a fighter you have to have heart and we see that in young Akio whose unwavering determination, resilience, and refusal to give up sets him up to ultimately prevail. At times the 1984 film classic The Karate Kid came to mind as the young Akio, like the young Daniel, starts his training with days of menial chores that seemingly only serve to provide free labor for his master, Mr. Miyagi. One totally unique thing you also have to have to make it as a sumo wrestler is godlike mass and “SUMO” delivers plenty, as the Sumo wrestlers themselves are something epic to behold. The drama is gripping and there is even an unresolved love story in the mix. The staging at first appears underwhelming but through the magic of state of the art projections our experience soars as the stage transforms from the simple grounds of the stable to a hyped up flash of a sports arena.
While not literally considered gods, sumo wrestlers, especially those of the highest rank (Yokozuna), are revered figures in Japan, and their practices and traditions are deeply rooted in Shinto religious rituals. Whether we wish to believe in it or not, there is a spirit in Sumo wrestling and “SUMO” shows us that not all wrestlers have the pureness of heart to connect with their sacred goddess. Some will never see her. There is also the spirit of money which can come in the form of sponsorship, the embodiment of materialism and it is the conflict between the spiritual and the material that makes “SUMO” tick and allows it to deliver its powerful message.
SUMO
Anspacher
February 20 – March 30, 2025
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