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This article explores mainstream theatre performances as experienced by students who are taken to them by their teachers, generally for the purposes of fulfilling curriculum requirements in drama or English studies. It explores the significance of the 'cultural frames' through which young people experience these performances and it poses questions in relation to how these frames impact on students' responses and what this means for teachers. The article focuses on a class of senior secondary Drama students and their encounters with two theatre productions, examines the emergence of the 'cultural frames' and their impact upon students' experiences of the theatre event. This article is based on research conducted for a MEd in Arts Education completed in 2005 at the University of Melbourne. It highlights findings relevant to theatre companies in their programming choices and to teachers responsible for the selection of productions for students to attend and to the pedagogy associated with the theatre visits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]