Dear Friends, 

The twin qualities of obsession and ambition can be invaluable tools in the pursuit of success – in some ways, they can be as crucial as talent. The question, of course, is at what point do those attributes begin to corrode our humanity? 

That question gnaws at me throughout SUMO, Lisa Sanaye Dring’s wildly theatrical, vivid and visceral play about six sumo wrestlers housed together in the pressure cooker of an elite sumo training facility in Tokyo. The 18-year-old newcomer Akio, comprised in equal parts of desperation and hunger, initially finds comfort in the (sometimes rough) mentorship of the other wrestlers. But the art of sumo demands everything its devoted practitioners have to offer – if not more – and as Akio begins to rise through the ranks, the harsh realities of the sport only feeds an insatiable desire for more. 

SUMO’s power comes from Lisa’s ability to hold so many different ideas in tension with each other: the spiritual and the physical; the masculine and the feminine; the sacred and the materialistic; hierarchies and humanity; the beauty and brutality of two bodies colliding. Lisa’s language is a perfect match for her subject: it’s poetry in motion, but like the wrestlers themselves, it’s capable of slamming into things with brute force. 

The 10th project to make the jump from our DNA New Work Series to our season, SUMO is directed with great humor and heart by Ralph B. Peña, the Artistic Director and driving force of Ma-Yi Theater Company. For decades, Ma-Yi has been an essential champion and launching pad for new works by Asian American playwrights, and it’s a true honor to partner with them on this fearless world premiere. 

Christopher Ashley
The Rich Family Artistic Director of La Jolla Playhouse