Then I met Strother Gaines, a grad student in the MSW/MBA programs. He is a seasoned immersive theatre performer and deviser and came to the department looking for a partner to build a new project.

We built a summer project that revolved around building an immersive show: students helped Strother develop and perform the work, and I led the students in devising the design and building the technical aspects. I also coordinated the “venue”- working with the stakeholders in the building to accommodate a 60-minute walking experience throughout the halls and performance spaces in the Newman Center for the Performing Arts.

Their creation was The Crimson Society: the story of DU’s heroic secret society promoting tolerance and wisdom- locked in perpetual battle with the Gilded Circle, a sinister organization with nefarious plans. The show begins with the performers meeting the audience in the lobby to take a seemingly tour of the performing arts center. During the tour, the drama unfolds as a member of the team is kidnapped, and the tour guides draw the audience into their secret circle, leading them through the building in search of a magic key- stolen by Gilded agents-that is the center of the Crimson Society.

The project had an additional dimension- Strother was not only a theatre maker, but a social worker- he has been researching the possibility of using immersive theatre to promote mental health. The script of the play incorporated ideas from his research and posed ethical dilemmas for the participants. Strother used the project as a pilot for his research and hopes to develop it in the future.