After making its debut in Chicago in 2011, 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche would go on to win the 2012 NYC International Fringe Festival as Best Overall Production, setting up the play’s status as a popular choice for up and coming actors to sink their teeth into.

The official summary of the play goes like this:

It’s 1956 and The Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein are having their annual quiche breakfast. As the assembled “widows” await the announcement of the society's prize-winning quiche, the atomic bomb sirens sound! Has the Communist threat come to pass? How will the “widows” respond as their idyllic town and lifestyle faces attacks? 

This site-specific production marks the directorial debut of Marissa Pattullo, an actor with quite a few immersive credits to her name including work with JFI Productions and Ceaseless Fun, hailing from the pre-pandemic immersive renaissance is LA.

We checked in with Pattullo about this production of 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche, which will make its bow in Glendale, CA on November 13th.

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No Proscenium: Tell us a little bit about your experience! What’s it about? What makes it immersive?


Marissa Pattullo: We’re reimagining 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche as a site-specific, immersive experience. Audiences are transported to 1956, joining the Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein at their Annual Quiche Breakfast. It’s part play, part participatory event — you’re not just watching, you’re part of the story.

NP: What was the inspiration for your upcoming experience?


MP: This has been one of my favorite plays since college — I directed it my senior year when I was craving a creative challenge. During lockdown, I revisited it with a semi-staged Zoom reading complete with costumes and makeshift effects. Since then, it’s been a dream to bring it to L.A. and make it immersive.

After a few dry years creatively, I finally decided to just do it. I pulled together an amazing cast of immersive collaborators, a producer, and a venue — and we made it happen. This show has always been my “comfort play” — joyful, absurd, and somehow still timely.

NP: What do you think fans of immersive will find most interesting about this latest experience? 


MP: It’s unlike any immersive show I’ve done or seen. It’s hilarious, heartfelt, and lets you both play along and sit back to enjoy the chaos. The original script has bits of audience interaction, but we’ve turned that up — giving everyone a chance to be part of the fun.

NP: Once you started designing and testing what did you discover about this experience that was unexpected?


MP: Since the venue isn’t a traditional theater, figuring out lighting and sound while keeping the space true to a 1950s meeting hall has been the biggest challenge, requiring the most creative problem solving.

NP: What can fans who are coming to this, or thinking about coming to this, do to get into the mood of the experience?


MP:

  • Show up in your best 1950s party attire!
  • Bonus points if you bake a quiche to bring and share 😉
  • Brush up on a little Cold War history, and most importantly — come ready to laugh out loud.

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