Exploring difficult issues can be the domain of drama and theatre. This article examines the processes of researching and workshopping an exploration of HIV-AIDS by a group of 20 undergraduate university students using playbuilding techniques. The importance of hegemony and the assimilation process become key issues in this classroom drama process. This personal account by the leader reveals that the process of researching and workshopping is fraught with difficulty but is not without its ultimate rewards when the students appear to make a shift in their understanding of the issues surrounding HIV-AIDS. The author proposes that a process drama approach would enhance the quality of meaningful experience when using playbuilding.