CARBONDALE, Ill. -- McLeod Theater will stage the comedy "I Hate Hamlet" July 8-10 on the campus of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

All shows, with the exception of a 2 p.m. matinee July 10, will take place at 8 p.m.

"I Hate Hamlet" is an original work by Paul Rudnick, who has also written such comedy hits as "Sister Act" and "Addams Family Values."

"I Hate Hamlet" is the story of a young television actor, Andrew, who thinks he has everything going his way.

He has his own television show, a beautiful girlfriend, Deirdra, and the perfect New York apartment. But everything starts falling down around him. His show is canceled, his girlfriend is clinging relentlessly to her virginity, and he is offered the chance to play Hamlet in Central Park, a role he has no desire to play.

The solution? Enter his seance-holding, real-estate agent Lillian. She conjures up the spirit of the late, great actor, John Barrymore to help guide Andrew.

Andrew is not convinced that help is what he's getting from Barrymore, who leads him down a pathway of twists and turns to convince him that Shakespeare isn't such a bad guy.

Christian Moe is directing the comedy. He calls the play a satire on high art. "Paul Rudnick has a gift for seeing the humor in things," said Moe. Asked what he thought the audience would remember most from the play, Moe replied,"There's a ghost story, a love story, and exhilarating sword play."

Added Moe,"The ghost of John Barrymore is sure to stir up a bit of nostalgia for those who have seen the late actor perform. It's really a lot of theatrical fun, and I just want the audience to have fun watching."

Mike Meyers, a graduate student at Southern Illinois University, is the fight choreographer for the play. The realistic sword play adds an exciting and adventurous element to the show.

Mary Murdock is the set designer for "I Hate Hamlet." To create the "perfect New York apartment," Murdock studied the blueprints and floor plans of the Dakota, the New York City apartment where John Lennon lived.

She has given the apartment a distincly Hollywood feel and has even outfitted it with realistic looking gargoyles to add some spookiness to the set.

In creating the costumes for "I Hate Hamlet", Norma L. West has given Barrymore a doublet. "That's more like what the audience will expect to see Barrymore in," said West. "The other characters are really types of people, so I've created costumes which seem to frame them into the type they represent."

For ticket information call the McLeod Theater Box Office at (618) 453-3001.