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When the curtain rises Friday at Twin Lakes Playhouse, it will mark a first in the theater’s 55-year history: the world premiere of an original play written by one of its own members.
“The Villain of Pine Hollow,” a melodramatic murder mystery penned by local theater veteran Mike Horberg, opens Jan. 30 and runs through Feb. 15. The production blends an Old West, 1930s-inspired setting with a modernized whodunit that promises to keep audiences laughing and guessing until the final scene.
Horberg, who has acted in about 20 productions and directed four previous shows for the playhouse, began developing the story in November 2024. Months of writing and editing followed before the script was complete, featuring 11 distinct characters in the fictional town of Pine Hollow.
“This kind of unique story that hasn’t been told before,” Horberg said in a recent interview with KTLO. “We took that idea, and we just ran with it. My wife helped me out a lot on this, and we spent hundreds of hours on this thing.”
The story unfolds in a crumbling town where a once-forgotten saloon reopens for a dinner party that spirals out of control. At the center stands Reginald Blackthorn, a villainous chef whose culinary crimes and wicked schemes set the stage for mayhem. Standing in his way is Maisie Sinclair, a pure-hearted ingenue harboring a secret powerful enough to unravel everything.
Josh Donner takes on the role of Blackthorn, playing what Horberg describes as a “Snidely Whiplash-type mustache-curling villain” who is over the top in everything he does.
“Josh Donner is playing Reginald Blackthorn. He is incredible in this part,” Horberg said. “The rest of the cast is just right there behind him, pushing the story forward, taking their own little spins on the characters and making them their own, which is the hallmark of a great performance in my opinion.”
Rehearsals began around Thanksgiving, and Horberg said watching the actors develop the characters has been unlike anything he’s experienced in his two decades of community theater involvement.
“It’s so bizarre, seeing the characters for the very first time read by someone else. I’ve had this story in my head for a year before anyone else ever touched it,” he said. “Watching these actors come alive and express themselves through these characters, it’s been a roller coaster. It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.”
His wife, Jenny Horberg, serves as assistant director. Company members have praised the couple’s collaborative approach and attention to detail throughout the production process.
The cast includes Cheyenne Wachtel, Sullivan Dye, Olivia Wolfe, Jeff Pyzocha, Steve Fox, Joanne Helms, Vance Jones, Patty Kotlicky, Nikolas Minard and Symphony Fox.
Coming off a strong year
The world premiere caps what has been a landmark year for the all-volunteer playhouse.
The 2025 season opened with “Harvey,” the classic comedy about a man whose best friend is an invisible six-foot rabbit. The production set the tone for a year of diverse programming that showcased the theater’s range.
“Farce of Habit,” a Southern-fried physical comedy by Arkansas-based playwrights Jones Hope Wooten, followed in March and April. Set in the Ozarks at a fictional fishing lodge, the show had audiences “rolling in the aisles,” according to reviews, with Horberg himself starring as the befuddled D. Gene Wilburn.
The playhouse transported audiences to the golden age of Hollywood in May and June with “Laura,” a film noir mystery directed by Joanne Helms. The production recreated the look and feel of a black-and-white movie on stage, complete with grayscale costumes and moody lighting.
Charlotte Brontë’s “Jane Eyre” brought Gothic romance to Mountain Home in August, directed by Olivia Wolfe. The dark and romantic thriller set in a mysterious manor house on the English moors showcased the theater’s ability to tackle literary adaptations.
The season concluded with “Nunsense,” the award-winning musical comedy directed by Angie Cotter Leach, featuring the Little Sisters of Hoboken staging a variety show to raise burial funds after their cook accidentally poisoned fellow nuns.
The previous holiday season also proved memorable, with the playhouse’s 2024 production of “A Christmas Story” selling out so quickly that two additional performances had to be added to meet demand.
A volunteer tradition
Twin Lakes Playhouse was founded in 1971 by George Smith, who held early rehearsals in members’ garages. The theater has operated entirely on volunteer labor since its inception, with no paid positions from board members to concession workers.
“Nobody is paid,” board chairman Diane Pankau has emphasized. “From the chairman of the board all the way to the person that serves concession — we’re all volunteers.”
The playhouse moved to its current location at 600 W. Sixth St. in 2000, evolving from presenting just two productions annually in its early years to now staging five shows per season.
A benefit performance on Thursday evening will support the Mountain Home Humane Society. Regular performances run Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through Feb. 15.
Tickets are $15 and available at tlpmh.org or by calling the box office at 870-424-0444.
The 2026 season continues with “Play On!” from April 17 to May 3, “The Hallelujah Girls” from June 12 to 28, “Murder on the Orient Express” from Aug. 14 to 30 and “A Sherlock Carol” from Nov. 6 to 22.
