Towards the end of Janurary I took up an offer from Brian Johnson, who teaches drama at La Habra High School to see their latest production: The Plummer Project.

Now let’s get something out of the way: I haven;t made it a habit to see high school theatre since the last of my friends graduated from high school. In fact, the last time I saw one of *those* productions was one of the most singularly awful and absurd experiences of my entire theatergoing life. That was two decades ago.

I accepted the invitation because Johnson has been working with his students on immersive theatre projects. As much as I was terrified of what I was going to see — I’m still scarred by certain college and Fringe shows, after all — my damn curiosity demanded that I go. So I drove down to Fullerton to see the production.

While I won’t review the show, what I *can* tell you is that I was utterly charmed by what I saw: a kind of living history piece as seen through the lens of Punchdrunk. The piece deployed what seemed like the *entire* theatre department and then some to create multiple narrative tracks which wove together live music, dance, and close up scenes — all in service of a piece that could be interpreted as agitprop by some.

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Maybe charmed isn’t the right term. Maybe I should say that I was blown away.

Oh, sure, I wasn’t transported into a numinous state, which is why I chase after immersive experiences. I learned a hell of a lot about the county in which I was born, things I never knew I was curious to know. I had a ball playing along with the black mask wearing guides in the intermission tent, who were doing character based improv with audience members and each other. When two of the kids asked me to settle their Prohibition debate I decided that I was from Los Angeles and in the “import/export” business.

I’m not sure they got the gag, but I didn’t care. (This is also why they don’t let me teach high school theatre anymore.)

By the time the evening was over I was excited by the idea that there is a generation of theatre students who are growing up with immersive as a fundamental part of their education.

Punchdrunk has their enrichment program. Third Rail has been working with a the Albany Park Theater Project in Chicago. The La Habra Theater Guild has this wonderful program.

I sometimes worry that the bright flame of Open Frame is a fragile one, but experiences like this are beginning to dispel that notion.

Thank you, Mr. Johnson, for the invite. I’m looking forward to the next one.