Spidey comes to Ivar’s aid

The 284-seat Ivar Theatre in Hollywood has a new proscenium arch and new carpeting too, both courtesy of “Spider-Man 2,” next summer’s sequel to the blockbuster movie.

The production did a one-day shoot at the Ivar on June 3, staging a scene from “The Importance of Being Earnest” on the theater’s stage. Kirsten Dunst’s character acts in the play. Spider-Man’s alter ego, Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire), shows up in the audience.

To make the theater look more traditional, the crew installed an “ornate,” custom-built proscenium and the carpeting, said Jack Nakano, artistic director of the nonprofit California Youth Theatre, which runs the Ivar. The improvements would have cost “thousands of dollars” if purchased, Nakano said.

-- D.S.