Through their belief in Ifá and the divine, three generations of women grow their relationships with each other and navigate living within their African diasporic identities in undergraduate student Alyssa Windom‘s award-winning script, Who Can I Run To? Windom is a 3rd year History of Art and Visual Culture (HAVC) major with the Arts Division at UC Santa Cruz and is the recipient of the 2026 Dharma Grace Creative Writing Award. The award includes a full theatrical production of their script.
In a modern, undisclosed time and a familiar yet unvisited space within the Americas, the audience meets four women, Lucia, Esme, Naia, and Aviva, three generations of the Sandorson family. The play follows each woman as they navigate how to live within the African diaspora, as well as grow their relationships with each other. Families are complex, but audiences learn this family does not have to figure out this life alone. Their belief in Ifá, and the divine, connects each woman with a guiding orisha that aids them in discovering themselves and their life paths.
Who Can I Run To? is directed by Theater Arts graduate student Darren Jackson-Wilkins.
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ADVISORIES
– May contain mature themes.
– To request accessibility accommodations, or for more information, contact theaterartstickets@ucsc.edu.
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ADMISSION
– Attend in person at UCSC’s Theater Arts Second Stage.
– Free for UCSC undergrads (ticket required).
– General admission “Pay What You Like” options $5–20.
– Tickets issued through Eventbrite only.
– Follow the Dept. of Performance, Play & Design on Eventbrite for notifications and updates.
– A limited number of tickets/seats may be available at the door, even after online ticket sales end or reach full capacity.
– Doors are scheduled to open 30 minutes prior to event start time.
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FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
This production has seven performances over two weekends between May 15 and May 24, 2026, with 7:30 p.m. evening performances Thurs.–Sat., and Sun. matinees at 2:00 p.m., including:
– Fri. May 15, 7:30 p.m.
– Sat. May 16, 7:30 p.m.
– Sun. May 17, 2:00 p.m. matinee
– Thu. May 21, 7:30 p.m.
– Fri. May 22, 7:30 p.m.
– Sat. May 23, 7:30 p.m.
– Sun. May 24, 2:00 p.m. matinee
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PARKING
– Parking by permit, ParkMobile, or $11 cash/credit via the on-site parking attendant
– Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event
– Visitors with DMV placards or plates may park for free in DMV spaces, Medical spaces, or ParkMobile spaces without additional payment, or in timed zones for longer than the posted time.
– UCSC affiliates must purchase their permits before arriving at the event in order to receive their discounted UCSC rate. Attendants will only sell the non-affiliate-priced permits.
– More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services (TAPS)
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ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
The 2026 Dharma Grace Creative Writing Award recipient, Alyssa Windom, is currently the chair of the Student Union Governance Board and co-Chair of the Black Student Union at UC Santa Cruz. Outside of organizing, she is a resident advisor for African, Black and Caribbean housing, a volunteer with Engaging Education, a frequenter in Cultural Arts and Diversity Resource Center (CADrc) spaces—such as Rainbow Theater and the African American Theater Arts Troupe—and is a member of Kasama, a Filipino Ballroom Dance Troupe. Windom is a 3rd year History of Art and Visual Culture major at UC Santa Cruz.
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ABOUT THE AWARD
Established in 2005, the Dharma-Grace Foundation Creative Writing Award Fund, an endowed fund, provides an award for an outstanding script, written by a junior or senior undergraduate student (from any discipline) who is in good academic standing. The award is designated to provide funding for a full production of the script. Eligible candidates for the award are selected by a faculty committee of the Department of Performance, Play & Design and recommended to the Dean of the Division of Arts for final approval. UCSC students interested in submitting a dramatic work to the 2028 award cycle are invited to learn more at the PPD website here.
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.