‘Shakespeare in Hollywood’ coming to Elmhurst

A comedy inspired by the 1934 filming of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is set to open Friday, May 6, at GreenMan Theatre in Elmhurst.

“Shakespeare in Hollywood” was written by Ken Ludwig, the same man who wrote “Lend Me a Tenor” and “Moon Over Buffalo.”

The play is based on a film that starred James Cagney, Dick Powell, Mickey Rooney and Olivia de Havilland. In Ludwig’s play, the real Oberon and Puck are magically transported to Hollywood and end up creating havoc after getting cast in the movie as themselves.

The production will run for three weekends through May 22, with Friday and Saturday shows at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday shows at 2 p.m. Performances will be at the First United Methodist Church, 232 S. York St., Elmhurst. Tickets are $15, $13 for students/seniors; parking is free.

Tickets may be purchased by calling (630) 464-2646 or visiting greenmantheatre.com.

Don’t worry if you have never read or seen Shakespeare’s original — everything you need to know about “Midsummer” will be mentioned in the course of the play. Ludwig may start with Shakespeare, but then he sends the audience on a romp through all the twists and turns from a classic Hollywood comedy of the 1930s.

“Shakespeare in Hollywood” is the final show of GreenMan’s seventh season.

The group, founded in 2003, is a nonprofit organization.