In this theater program, everyone gets the role they want. 

With some groups upwards of fifty members, that’s no small task. It’s made possible by the uniquely collaborative nature of Open Arts Minnesota, whose mission is to “[create] and [foster] inclusive artistic activities for people with disabilities who are of diverse abilities and ages seeking opportunities to discover their unique creative gifts, develop and practice skills, and share their creations in a supportive, compassionate environment.”

When it’s time for a new production, founder and executive director Wilbur Neushwander-Frink gathers with the actors to brainstorm. Together, they fill several large sheets of paper with ideas and stories, from which Wilbur pulls ideas and common themes. Then, she consults the survey she has actors complete, noting what roles they’d like to play in the production. Draft in hand, she returns to the group to workshop the script together.

“Sometimes we’re doing revisions all the way up to showtime,” Wilbur adds with a laugh.

When it’s time for a performance, the actors take to the stage. Some are assisted by shadow partners who whisper lines to them; others use technology to communicate. Together, they bring to life the stories they’ve created, many of which illustrate issues facing their community. At Open Arts Minnesota, theater is a form of self-advocacy, rooted in a movement that has sought to give people with disabilities greater control over their own lives and stories.

33 years ago, Wilbur was working as a nurse at a residential provider in New Ulm. She recalls “waves” of people coming out of state institutions at the time*, the result of decades of advocacy for greater independence and equal rights for individuals with disabilities. Her coworkers at the residential facility were involved in the self-advocacy movement and encouraged her to check it out. So, Wilbur attended a local People First meeting in New Ulm, where about 75 individuals with disabilities and their allies were organizing with the Disability Justice Movement. They wanted to share their stories with legislators, and Wilbur–a lifelong storyteller–stepped in. She helped scribe their stories and condense them into versions that could be shared in conversation with busy politicians. 

One stood out. It was the story of Mary Templin, a woman who had spent years institutionalized as a child and young adult. After she got out, she fought to get a home of her own, and later on, to marry the love of her life. Her story highlighted not only the injustices faced by the disability community, but the resilience it takes to overcome institutional barriers.

Wilbur recognized the importance of sharing Mary’s story, so she asked if Mary would be interested in adapting it into a short play. They took that show on the road, performing throughout Minnesota and Iowa with great success. So much success, in fact, that those involved were eager to continue using inclusive theater as a way to self-advocate–Wilbur included.

“I could feel it within me that I needed to spend more time working [there],” she recalls.

So, Wilbur retired from nursing to devote more time to the Disability Justice Movement and the development of inclusive theater in southern Minnesota. Together with Arc of Minnesota and People First of New Ulm, she founded the United We Stand Players of New Ulm in 1994. Programming expanded with the creation of the Aktion Club Theatre of Mankato in 2006, and the Aktion Club Theatre of Fairmont in 2017. What had begun as a project sharing stories with legislators grew into a network of creative communities, each providing more opportunities for individuals with disabilities to develop their theatrical skills.

Over the years, Wilbur had consulted friends and colleagues about incorporating a nonprofit in order to support the continued growth of her creative communities, which until that point had largely relied on service groups. In 2018, she officially launched Open Arts Minnesota to do just that. 

They received their first grant from Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council that same year, and since then, have received additional funding from Minnesota State Arts Board to continue to support its programming. All of this is made possible by the Legacy Amendment’s Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund. 

Since incorporating, Open Arts has expanded their programming into the virtual space with the launch of Zoom Box Actors and Thursday Theatre Gathering of Friends. These programs that began as a necessary evolution to get through the pandemic have proven themselves popular, and continue to provide arts programming to individuals who otherwise wouldn’t have access to it.

Just last year, Open Arts launched yet another program – the Offshoot Theatre Experience. Some actors had approached Wilbur, eager to learn more about memorization practices, auditioning tips, directing, and more. The group’s first performance, the Mystical Cats of the Monroe, ran in July 2026.

“One of the Offshoot Theatre [actors], his goal was to memorize a lot of his lines. I just remember that there was this part where he was standing up and giving his schpiel, and he did it without looking at his script. Then he looked over at me and smiled. I’m like ‘Oh! This is great!’” Wilbur recalls. “That’s the goal.”

Wilbur hopes that with these skills, actors can become involved in theater groups beyond Open Arts. Some collaborations have already taken place. During the pandemic, Open Arts actors worked one-on-one with volunteers from MSU’s LitReach program to compose stories about their lives. Among them was Mary Templin, the very same woman whose road show played a major role in the development of southern Minnesota’s inclusive theater scene today. Mary wanted to expand her short play into a full-length production.

So, in 2022, Open Arts received a grant from Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council to stage Mary’s Fairy Tale at the Centenary Social Justice Theater, directed by Doug Faust. The cast was made up of actors from both Centenary and the Aktion Club Theatre of Mankato, and featured a post-show talk-back session where audience members were able to ask Mary and other cast members questions about their lived experiences with institutionalization and guardianship.

The experience was so encouraging that other cast members told Wilbur that they too wanted to write plays about their lives. As a result, Open Arts developed a “Life Stories” workshop where actors began to develop their material. The process, however, became challenging as actors began revisiting emotional memories – some which had never been shared before.

In response, Open Arts adjusted the program schedule to allow more time for reflection and processing, and devoted an entire session to crafting a culture statement to guide them through more difficult moments. Ultimately, seven members left the workshop with portfolios of stories ready to be adapted. 

The following year, Open Arts led a second workshop, where six of those actors returned to develop their stories into short plays and monologues. Those were shared in a public reading, which Wilbur fondly recalls as “one of those hallmark experiences in my career.”

“To stand back and watch each participant share their creative piece was delightful, but also a good reminder of the importance of access in the arts. As a result of this project and funding, 6 people were able to share their stories, which historically would otherwise be forgotten and ignored,” Wilbur said.

Three decades in, Wilbur knows the work is far from complete. In an era of increasing uncertainty, she remains committed to providing a welcoming, supportive environment that people can rely on as a place to create, connect, and advocate. Open Arts continues to be that space, and recognizes that the work wouldn’t be possible without the support of everyone that has been involved along the way. 

“We have to be together as a community. We’ve got to keep going.”

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*This was the result of work done by the Disability Justice Movement, which fought for the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. While the ADA prohibited discrimination against people with disabilities in everyday activities, the movement continued to advocate against institutionalization, eventually leading to the Olmstead Decision in 1999, when the Supreme Court mandated states to provide people with disabilities the highest level of community integration as possible.