Women-led online production to honor cast, supporters

presented online on July 27 by locally headquartered Unboxed Productions (UP), centers on a family from Biloxi, Mississippi, who relocated there from Ohio in the 1980s. The play is set against the political backdrop of 2018’s U.S. Supreme Court hearings and the lead character, Karen, finds her world turned upside down by a fateful ruling.

Local actor Dee Collier is the only actor to have played the comedic character of Carol in every UP production of the play so far.

Zink, Brittany Vasser, Susan Moring, June Benoit, Jessica Matthews, Rhonda Woodard, Teri Schwartz, Rita Singer, Laila Fakhoury and Collier. Originally directed by Sandstrom, all other online versions have been directed by UP co-founder Jan Thomas, from Indianapolis. All cast and crew have been invited back for this one-night event to see how the play grew and to join in a coast-to-coast cast party fundraiser.

“This is also a reunion of all the actors who have played a role in ‘Unboxing in Biloxi’ or our original title ‘Unboxing in Atlanta,’ said Sandstrom of the July 27 event. “We have special guests April McDonald of Project Hope, Dee Collier and a few other surprise guests.”

By Julie Garisto julie@magnoliamediaco.com

“Dee will be honored during the Thursday, July 27, production at 4 p.m., as well as Mia Munn, a resident of North Carolina who discovered UP and has been to every single online production, since UP was founded the summer of 2020 as a way to keep the theater open and viable during the pandemic,” explained Unboxed Productions co-founder and artistic director Kim Lynette Sandstrom.

In all, more than 50 actors and crew have performed in “Unboxing in Biloxi” (which originally was titled “Unboxing in Atlanta”) since the world premiere at CF in 2019, including locals Laurie

UP has produced more than a dozen live, online only, shows since its founding and has had hundreds of audience members log on. The production of “Tea at Five,” the Katharine Hepburn story, starring Marty Van Kleek of Dallas, broke the group’s box office record and UP will be offered again in September as a live online-only production. Other UP plays include “Erma Bombeck,” “Tea for Three” and “How We Faced the Horsemen.”

UP is a nationwide, women-led effort, and the theater company has worked overtime promoting women-produced and women-focused productions. Marketing is handled by Sandstrom, who co-founded the company with director Thomas at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 and has continued producing shows online for theater lovers who prefer not to go to a brick-and-mortar theater. Local actor and UP board member Rita Singer, and board members Teri Schwartz of Ocala and Lee Tilson of Detroit, also lend support.