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Sumo Off-Broadway

Sumo 2025

Opened: 2025
Closing: March 30, 2025

Sumo - 2025 Off-Broadway History , Info & More

Joseph Papp Public Theater
425 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10003
Run Type Limited Run
Market Off-Broadway
Previews December 31, 2025
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.

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. Obie Award winner Ralph B. Peña directs this powerhouse drama.

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FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Sumo

Sumo

From: Time Out New York By: Raven Snook Date: 2025-03-05

7 / 10

But unlike the bouts, which often last less than a minute, Sumo frequently feels sluggish. The humorous sequences are high points, especially a scene of spirited post-tournament karaoke, but the central narrative—leading up to an epic final showdown that pits empathy against aspiration—ultimately feels too pat; a subplot involving a taboo relationship is more gripping than the main story. The play is a solid contender, but it doesn't have quite enough surprising moves to rise to the level of champion.

Review: Wrestling With Angels and Demons in ‘Sumo’

From: The New York Times By: Jesse Green Date: 2025-03-05

6 / 10

Yet when you look for the souls within the clothing you find nothing as precise or vivid. That’s a problem that comes with the play’s virtues. Respect and delicacy, wonderful life values, are less so in drama, and Dring’s framing of the work with ingratiatingly comic narration from three priests, as if her subject would otherwise be too strange for New York theatergoers, has a paradoxical effect. It makes sumo seem like a museum exhibit, trapped behind glass. Better, perhaps, just to throw us into the ring.

Video: SUMO The Public Theater and Ma-Yi Theater Company’s New York Premiere
by Chloe Rabinowitz - March 12, 2025


The Public Theater and Ma-Yi Theater Company is presenting the New York premiere of SUMO, a new play written by Lisa Sanaye Dring and directed by Obie Award winner Ralph B. Peña. See footage here!

Review Roundup: SUMO Opens At The Public Theater
by A.A. Cristi - March 5, 2025


Read reviews for The Public Theater and Ma-Yi Theater Company’s New York premiere of SUMO, a new play written by Lisa Sanaye Dring and directed by Obie Award winner Ralph B. Peña. 

Photos: Inside Opening Night of SUMO
by Jennifer Broski - March 6, 2025


Photos: SUMO at The Public Theater
by A.A. Cristi - February 27, 2025


Check out new production photos for The Public Theater and Ma-Yi Theater Company’s New York premiere of SUMO, a new play written by Lisa Sanaye Dring and directed by Obie Award winner Ralph B. Peña. 

SUMO Extended at The Public Theater Through Late March
by Chloe Rabinowitz - February 13, 2025


Ma-Yi Theater Company and The Public Theater will begin previews for the New York premiere of SUMO 相撲 with a Joseph Papp Free Performance on Thursday, February 20. The production has been extended. Learn more about the show!

Photos: In Rehearsals for Public Theater and Ma-Yi Theater Company's SUMO
by Nicole Rosky - January 27, 2025


The Public Theater and Ma-Yi Theater Company will soon present the New York premiere of SUMO, a thrilling new play written by Lisa Sanaye Dring and directed by Obie Award winner Ralph B. Peña. Check out photos from rehearsals here!

Cast Announced For Ma-Yi Theater Company's SUMO 相撲 At The Public Theater
by A.A. Cristi - November 14, 2024


Ma-Yi Theater Company and The Public Theater announced the cast for SUMO 相撲, featuring a diverse ensemble of performers. The production explores themes of tradition and identity through the lens of sumo wrestling.


Sumo - 2025 Off-Broadway Awards and Nominations

Note: Award winners are highlighted with a background.
Sumo awards and nominations
Year Ceremony Category Nominee
2025 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Fight Choreography Chelsea Pace
2025 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Fight Choreography James Yaegashi
2025 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Lighting Design of a Pl Paul Whitaker
2025 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Wig and Hair Design Alberto “Albee” Alvarado

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