Tuesday, April 1, 2025
SUMO is a bold new play about sports, spirituality, Japanese culture, ancient traditions, the hero's journey, and the full spectrum of masculinity. Written by Lisa Sanaye Dring and directed by Ralph B. Peña, SUMO's New York debut is held at the Public Theater for an extended run through March 30 in a co-production with Ma-Yi Theater Company and La Jolla Playhouse. The Public's Anspacher space has been transformed into a theater-turned-dohyō with the audiences granted prime ringside seats to experience the world of sumo up close and personal. Though small in stature, playwright Lisa Sanaye Dring is a wrestler. She wrestles
Tag: Ralph B. Peña
The Chinese Lady at Theatre Row
The Chinese Lady is a shattering story of how our western culture’s scopophilia leads us to make “freaks” of those who are different to ourselves. Our obsessive voyeurism does not lead to understanding of others but rather a desire to possess, command and sometimes destroy the objects of our incessant gaze. This is one of the most original, thought-provoking and necessary works I have ever seen. It is a production that excels on every single level – text, direction, performance and design. I am still haunted by the brilliance of the insights, the emotionality unleashed in the spaces between words