Tonight through Sunday, audiences can expect ‘dumb fun’ and fast-paced comedy when Clinton County Civic Theatre opens its latest production, ‘Tangled Webbs,’ director Luke McLaughlin said in a recent Party Line interview on WILO 96.9 FM and Boone 102.7 FM.
McLaughlin, a board member of Clinton County Civic Theatre and theater teacher at Clinton Prairie, is directing “Tangled Webbs,” a family farce by playwright Michal Jacot, running Thursday through Sunday at the Skanta Theatre inside the Frankfort Community Public Library. The volunteer-driven production features a mix of veteran performers and first-time actors and centers on a wedding thrown into chaos when a long-lost brother appears and throws questions of inheritance and motives into play.
About the show
“Tangled Webbs” is billed as a lighthearted, fast-paced comedy with plenty of mistaken identity, misdirection and broad humor. The plot follows a wealthy family preparing for a wedding when a brother who was given up for adoption arrives unexpectedly, leaving relatives wondering whether he is entitled to the family fortune and what he really wants. McLaughlin describes the evening as “dumb fun” with very little heavy thinking required for audiences looking for an easy laugh.
The production is licensed through Eldridge Publishing Company, which handles performance rights for Jacot’s work. “Tangled Webbs” is part of CCCT’s 2025–26 three-show season, which features one-weekend-only runs in October, February and April.
Cast and creative team
Eight performers make up the cast, including several familiar faces to Clinton County theatergoers. Rhonda Hundley returns to the Civic Theatre stage for the first time in more than a decade and appears alongside her son, Griffin Hundley, with the pair portraying mother and son in the show. Regular CCCT contributor Kylie Harshbarger, board member Mary Kay Ferguson and long-time participant Adam Bickle also appear, with Bickle marking his 21st time on the Civic stage.
The cast also includes three newcomers: recent Clinton Central graduate Megan Webb, Frankfort High School senior Elijah Dick and Red Barn Summer Theatre artistic director Michael Taylor, who is appearing with CCCT for the first time despite years of work in the local theater community. McLaughlin said involving young performers and new volunteers is a priority, noting that community theater can be a lifelong hobby that starts in school and continues into adulthood.
McLaughlin directs the show and oversees set, lights and sound, with Ellen Osborne serving as assistant director for this production. CCCT operates as a volunteer organization founded in 1989, offering community members opportunities to work onstage, backstage, in the booth, or front-of-house.
Rehearsals and behind-the-scenes work
Auditions for “Tangled Webbs” were held the first Sunday in January, using “cold reads” from selected scenes rather than prepared monologues, in keeping with CCCT’s standard audition approach. After casting, the company rehearsed twice a week through January and then increased to three rehearsals a week in February once the group moved into the Skanta Theatre space.
McLaughlin said recent weekends have been spent almost entirely at the theater, building and painting the set, hanging and focusing lights, refining sound cues, gathering props and pulling costumes. He emphasized that no one at CCCT is paid, describing the show as a “labor of love” where participants contribute time and skills simply because they enjoy making live theater.
Costumes and furniture pieces are drawn from the theatre’s crowded costume storage and from community partners, including local furniture businesses and individuals who lend items such as couches, rugs, or wall décor for specific productions. McLaughlin noted that CCCT has built up a wide network of supporters since its founding, often turning to long-time patrons when a period hat, vintage sofa or special prop is needed.
Ways to get involved
McLaughlin encouraged residents who have wondered about participating in theater but feel hesitant to start with small steps, such as volunteering as an usher, working backstage, or helping build or strike sets. He added that those interested in acting can request smaller roles with fewer lines, and many shows include parts with limited dialogue that still allow newcomers to experience being on stage.
Clinton County Civic Theatre regularly invites volunteers without prior experience and lists opportunities on its website and Facebook page, including ushers, box office helpers and technical crew. McLaughlin said a strong arts scene, including CCCT, the Red Barn Summer Theatre and school programs across the county, is a major asset for a community the size of Frankfort and Clinton County.
Ticket details and school musical
“Tangled Webbs” runs tonight through Sunday, with performances Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. All tickets are $12, a price McLaughlin said is significantly lower than many nearby community theatres in the region. Tickets are available online at ccctonline.org, via links on the Clinton County Civic Theatre Facebook page, or by calling 765-601-3904.
In addition to the CCCT show, McLaughlin is also co-directing a joint high school production of the musical “Sister Act” with colleagues from Frankfort High School, scheduled for April 23–25 at Frankfort High. Rights for that show, like “Tangled Webbs,” were obtained through a theatrical licensing company, a process that involves applying for and paying for performance rights, similar to music licensing on radio.
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