Performances of “Boxes” will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, April 24 and 2 p.m. Saturday, April 25, at the New Ulm Community Center.

The play was created through a collaborative effort by United We Stand Players (UWSP) and Open Arts Minnesota. “Boxes” is an original play inspired by the real stories, ideas and creativity of UWSP and is a celebration of 33 years of inclusive theatre.

Open Arts Minnesota executive director Wilbur Neushwander-Fink said the UWSP theater group began in New Ulm 33 years ago as an off-shoot of the national group People First.

People First is an international organization that serves as an advocacy group for disabled people. New Ulm’s chapter of People First began in 1993. Neushwander-Fink became involved with People First through her work as a nurse. She began volunteering with People’s First in 1994 to help people in the disabled community tell their stories.

In this scene, the cast is singing a song through a square that resembles the box windows on Zoom calls. The scene matches with the theme of boxing people in. In photo left to right: Kathy Schimota, Suzanne Totman, Emily Austvold, Matt Norby, Blaine Cox, Tammy Suess, Jyneal McCrea, Alma Garibay and Kevin Johnson.

“In the ’90s, people wanted to share their stories,” Neushwander-Fink said. “Then the group I was working with wanted to do some theater.”

They were able to adapt a local woman’s story into their first performance. From there, a separate theater group was formed that focused on stories about people with disabilities. Neushwander-Fink said the theatre troupe became a groundbreaking organization for inclusive theatre.

Neushwander-Fink has helped organize the production, but she said all of the performances are created through group work; she simply organizes the ideas into a story structure. Instead of renting a play for the group to perform, the members work together to create the story they want to tell using input from the entire cast.

“We are always making tweaks in it to make sure everyone is included,” she said.

This style of inclusive theatre has caught on in other markets. Neushwander-Fink said a similar theatre group was started in Mankato and Fairmont.

The United We Stand Players practice the first scene of “Boxes,” in which the cast mimes pushing against the unseen box many people feel trapped in and limited by. Kathy Schimota, Donna Grewe, Tammy Suess, Jyneal McCrea, Alma, Garibay, Blaine Cox and Matt Nordby.

In 2018, Neushwander-Fink retired and formed the nonprofit Open Arts Minnesota to create a stronger foundation for disabled persons to share their stories.

“Our mission is really to help people with disabilities, talents and to participate in the artistic process,” Neushwander-Fink said.

Neushwander-Fink said UWSP’s latest play, “Boxes,” came out of something one member said about feeling “boxed-in” by how other people’s views of them. Some people cannot look beyond a person’s disability, which can be limiting. Boxes explores how people with disabilities sometimes feel “boxed in” or unseen for the full richness of who they are.

“It is about how we see people,” Neushwander-Fink said. “It is also about the community’s concern over hurtful words; specifically, the R-word. These concerns are woven into the play.”

Neushwander-Fink said there has recently been a nationwide resurgence of the R-word being used against people in the disabled community. This year, the Special Olympics took an effort to push back against the R-word and “Boxes” will be doing the same.

The actual plot of “Boxes” revolves around a group of disabled people who are holding a food fundraiser. Through the fundraising efforts, the group comes together to raise awareness about discrimination and the harm caused by hurtful words and find strength in speaking up.

Neushwander-Fink said that by centering the story on a food fundraiser, it shows how anyone can contribute to the community.

“The idea is to turn the idea of boxes upside down,” Neushwander-Fink said. “By the end of the story, the donation boxes are filled with food. They have filled these boxes with something positive.”

In keeping with the spirit of helping the community, people attending performances of “Boxes” are invited to bring non-perishable food items that will be brought to the New Ulm Area Emergency Food Shelf.

Neushwander-Fink said there is a $10 suggested donation or pays able as able donation to see the performance.

Saturday’s performance of “Boxes” will include an American Sign Language interpreter and will include a relaxed atmosphere for all abilities.