The last time “Shear Madness” was performed at Meadow Brook Theatre was in 2017 and actress Leslie Ann Handelman was pregnant with her twins.

“My twins are 7 now and they’re so excited to see the play from the outside,” said Handelman, a Chicago resident. “I’ve shown them production photos from the first time and the character Barbara always wears blue. I’ve shown them the photo and said, ‘You were in that blue dress with me.’”

The play returns to the Rochester Hills theater on the campus of Oakland University on May 28-June 22.

“Shear Madness” is an audience participation “whodunit,” written by Paul Portner. It has been produced in all 50 states. “Each show includes local references and up-to-the-minute humor,” said Travis W. Walter, MBT artistic director.The play takes place in a hair salon, where characters “flutter in and out for appointments in the first 20 minutes,” Handelman said. “We find out a murder has occurred. Based on the timeline (of when) everyone came in and out of the shop, we’re all suspects.”

There are six characters in the play, including a male and a female stylist. The victim is a famous concert pianist who lived in an apartment above the shop, said Handelman, who plays stylist Barbara Demarco.

“At the top of Act II, the audience can directly question the suspects,” she explained. “The play feels like an avalanche and a runaway train at the same time. It’s so fast-paced. There are sight gags, lots of slamming doors, and visual comic bits.”

Handleman grew up in West Bloomfield. She graduated from West Bloomfield High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in acting from Syracuse University and a master’s degree in acting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

“I went out on tour for a few months, then moved to Chicago in 2007,” she said. “I’ve been based there ever since.”

Handleman said she’s mostly performed in musicals and Shakespeare plays in Chicago, but also in some regional theaters. This will be her eighth production at Meadow Brook, where she has acted in musicals, contemporary plays, comedies and mysteries.

She prefers living in Chicago over New York City because “I love that I can live there as a person and it’s a much more affordable city.”

When she’s not performing, Handelman teaches group fitness classes. She also participates in field trips with her children and volunteers for their classes. “I have very hands-on parenting experiences,” she said.

Handelman said the cast members of “Shear Madness” have all been in this production before. Besides Handelman, two others — Chris Stinson as Mikey Thomas and Lynnae Lehfeldt as Mrs. Shubert — were in the 2017 production at Meadow Brook and are playing the same roles they did then.

“They are a whip-smart group of actors,” she said. “We do so much laughing in rehearsals.”

The cast also includes Stephen Blackwell (Eddie Lawrence), Joseph Delguste (Nick O’Brien) and Francis Kelly (Tony Whitcomb),

MBT’s production is directed by Walter. Scenic design is by Brian Kessler, costume design by Corey Collins, lighting design by Reid G. Johnson, and sound design by Brendan Eaton. Liz Goodall is the costume coordinator, and assistant lighting design is by Phill Hall. Brittanie Nichole Sicker is the stage manager, and Stacy White is the assistant stage manager.

Tickets range from $39 to $48 and are available by calling the Meadow Brook Theatre box office at 248-377-3300 or at ticketmaster.com. Student discounts are available at the box office. Groups of eight or more should call 248-370-3316 for group pricing.

“Shear Madness” is suggested for audience members in middle school and up.