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A ripped-from-the-headlines one-act play about race, police and friendship examines the search for truth after a white police officer kills a black man. “This Is How It Happened,” by Sacramento native Anthony D’Juan, is being presented by Catalyst: A Theatre Think Tank through the UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance. Free performances will be livestreamed on Oct. 15 and 16 at 5 p.m. (PDT).

“Although D’Juan wrote this piece in 2015, ‘This Is How It Happened’ could not be more applicable to the issues we are facing today in our society,” said director Lyndsay Burch, associate artistic director of Sacramento’s B Street Theatre. “D’Juan has crafted incredibly rich, relatable and complex characters who draw the audience in and leave them asking important questions. After viewing this play, I believe audience members will be inspired to look at their own behavior and examine ways that they can be a part of creating positive change.”

D’Juan’s works for the stage have been produced locally at the B Street Theatre and California Musical Theatre. Burch has developed new stage works for B Street Theatre, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center and Sacramento Theatre Company. 

The cast features professional actors Rob Karma Robinson, Peter Story and Danielle Moné Truitt. UC Davis undergraduate theatre and dance students Katie Halls and Nicole Richter serve as assistant director and stage manager. Alumna Tiffany Nwogu (BA theatre and dance, ‘20) is also an assistant director.   

A launching pad for new works for the stage, Catalyst is a virtual festival this year with online rehearsals and performances. The online process gives Catalyst a national footprint and allows creative teams to collaborate from various locations across time zones. 

The UC Davis College of Letters and Science’s Department of Theatre and Dance produces the 2020-2021 Catalyst season with support from the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, Bike City Theatre Company, Southern Utah University and San Francisco Youth Theatre.

Catalyst productions may contain adult situations and language.

or details about access to the play and other events, visit catalyst3t.com.