Town Players of Newtown lights up the stage of The Little Theatre with its humorous and charming production of The Importance of Being Earnest, running through October 17.

The timeless play by Oscar Wilde follows Jack Worthing (played by Liam McGrath) and Algernon Moncrieff (Colin McLoone), two wealthy bachelors who invent fictional alter egos to escape their stuffy social duties and liven up their love lives. Chaos erupts as they unleash a wave of romantic entanglements and mistaken identities. Bursting with rapid-fire wit, biting social satire, and a web of hilarious misunderstandings, Wilde's masterpiece proves that the truth is rarely pure and never simple.

The Town Players take the delightful chaos of the play and run wild with it, made all the better by the show's set and costumes. Both aptly reflect the aesthetic of late 19th Century England, where the show takes place.

The set itself is subdued but very homey, with the three different locations filled with all sorts of fancy-looking furniture, ranging from the soft velvet sofa in the drawing room to the white lattice fences adorned with flowers in the garden.

The costumes fit the characters as much as they are nice to look at. Take Cecily (Martha Hegley), who sports a pretty white and lilac dress adorned with floral accents. Not only does this reflect how the audience first sees Cecily in the garden, but it also complements her charming, down-to-earth disposition.

Compare this to Lady Bracknell (Angela Mantero), whose shiny silver dress with black accents gives off an air of importance, as if she controls the room by her appearance alone.

The set design and costumes are lovely to look at, but it is the contrast between the wealth and luxury of the characters and the hijinks of the show that add an extra layer of charm to the production.

McGrath is great as Jack, the story's central protagonist. He gives off the impression of a relatively straitlaced, seemingly responsible young gentleman. However, this attitude somewhat falls apart when caught in his own lies or the tomfoolery of Algernon.

McGrath has a lot of great quiet acting moments, like him turning his head in disbelief that he flubbed his own pickup line. Even when another character is taking center stage, it is always fun to watch McGrath and see just what Jack gets up to.

The dynamic McGrath has with McLoone's Algernon is also incredibly fun, as is McLoone as Algernon. He absolutely kills it when it comes to facial expressions, elevating so many lines by raising his eyebrow or showing off a smarmy, yet somehow charming smirk.

The pair even have great physical comedy moments together. There is one scene when Algernon keeps an item of Jack's out of reach, teasing him by dangling it above his head or turning his back. McLoone is taller than McGrath, and the two take advantage of their height difference to play up their mischief.

Equally great is Miranda Wakeman as Gwendolen, who perfectly embodies the boisterous and prideful nature of her character. She delivers each line with the utmost confidence, making for so many delightful moments, like when she talks about her disgust for the name Jack. Wakeman also has great dynamics with the others in the cast, from her entertaining puppy love with Jack to her friendship-turned-rivalry-turned-sisterly bond with Cecily.

Hegley is wonderful as Cecily. She carries herself with such earnestness, making her character's kindness and curiosity really shine. It also makes her scenes with McLoone entertaining, as there is someone who is trying to be incredibly deceitful paired with someone who is just so bright, genuine, and entertaining.

The rest of the cast does an equally great job, from Mantero's domineering yet passionate Lady Bracknell to Kristin Aug's practical but gentle Miss Prism.

In a show filled with budding romance and humorous misunderstandings, Town Players of Newtown delights in its production of The Importance of Being Earnest, and it is more than worth checking out.

Performances continue weekends through October 17, on Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 pm and Sunday afternoons at 2 pm. There will also be a special Thursday evening performance on October 15 at 8 pm. Tickets are $30 general admission and $25 seniors (ages 60+). Buy three general admission tickets and get one free using discount code Buy3Get1. Visit newtownplayers.org for more information.

Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.