Sumo: Assistant Production Manager

SUMO is a new play (2025), co-produced between Ma-Yi Theater Company and The Public Theater, developed from a previous co-production between Ma-Yi and La Jolla Playhouse. It ran in The Public’s Anspacher Theater from March 5th through March 30th 2025, with previews starting February 20th.

The Assistant Production Manager position began in July 2024 and was completed May 2025, and included a wide variety of skills and tasks, including (but not limited to):
-multi-team management
-archival organization
-hands-on technical theater skills
-complex scheduling
-contract negotiation
-advanced creative problem-solving
-clear and concise communication
-compassionate leadership
-leading production meetings
-monitoring workplace safety
-task coordination
-notation & secretarial skills
-budgeting & financial management
-artistic flair & a detailed eye

Creative Team:

By: LISA SANAYE DRING
Directed by: RALPH B. PEÑA
Scenic Design: WILSON CHIN
Costume Design: MARIKO OHIGASHI
Lighting Design: PAUL WHITAKER
Sound Design and Music Composition: FABIAN OBISPO
Hair, Wig, and Make-Up Design: ALBERTO “ALBEE” ALVARADO
Projection Design: HANA S. KIM
Prop Design: THOMAS JENKELEIT
Taiko Drum Composition and Performance: SHIH-WEI WU
Sumo Consultant and Co-Fight Direction: JAMES YAEGASHI
Co-Fight Direction and Intimacy Direction: CHELSEA PACE
Production Dramaturg: AMRITA RAMANAN
Voice and Text Coach: JULIE CONGRESS
Casting: CALLERI JENSEN DAVIS
Production Stage Manager: ALYSSA K. HOWARD
Stage Manager: TAEUK KANG
Executive Producer for Ma-Yi: JAKOB CARTER
Line Producer for The Public: EMMA MCSHARRY
Company Manager: GRACE CHARIYA
Production Manager for Ma-Yi: BARRY STAGG
Assistant Production Manager for Ma-Yi: FRANNY KROMMINGA

Cast:

Kannushi 2: KRIS BONA
Fumio: RED CONCEPCIÓN
So: MICHAEL HISAMOTO
Ren: AHMAD KAMAL
Shinta: EARL T. KIM
Mitsuo: DAVID SHIH
Akio: SCOTT KEIJI TAKEDA
Kannushi 1: PACO TOLSON
Kannushi 3: VIET VO
Understudies: AKIRA FUKUI, HANK LIN, HAOWEN LUO
Taiko Drum: SHIH-WEI WU

Read the SUMO Playbill here.

SUMO received several accolades from the NYC theater community, including 5 Lucille Lortel Award nominations (and one win), and 3 Drama Desk Award nominations. In addition, SUMO was featured in several press articles, found here.

Production Photos (credit: Joan Marcus):