Without being too "punny" about it, you are in for a "Wilde" time of laughter with the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival (PSF) production of Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest," through Aug. 4, Main Stage, Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, DeSales University, Center Valley.

While the laughs are decidedly high-brow and not low-brow puns, you don't have to be knowledgeable about the vagaries of Victorian society to be in on the jokes.

(For details, allusions and references, PSF Literary-Dramaturgical Assistant Megan Diehl prepared wall cards on display with Lee Butz's wonderful "Earnest" photos in the lobby).

Wilde's characters, their dilemmas and their machinations to extricate themselves out of their predicaments are the ingredients of great theater, and the PSF "Earnest," in casting, directing and production values, cooks up a buffet of bon mots.

Jim Helsinger, with associate director Matt Pfeiffer, directs the cast of five leads (including himself as Lady Bracknell) and supporting players of five with an impeccable sense of comedic timing, staging and pacing. The three-act show, with each act approximately 45 min., is a delicious concoction of word-play, subterfuge and tom-foolery.

That Wilde subtitled his farce, set in London and a country house in 1895, "A Trivial Comedy for Serious People," underscores the volleys of dialogue that keep your eyes darting as if watching a tennis match.

For example: Algeron to Worthing; "Do you always really understand the things you say?" And Worthing's response: "Yes, if I listen attentively."

One can only imagine the challenge for actors to deliver the goods in "Earnest" and deliver they do in one of the best productions ever presented at PSF.

In casting and performance, Zack Robidas (Algernon Moncrieff) and Blake Ellis (John Worthing) epitomize two aspects of Victorian foppery.

Ellis is angular and straight in facial and physical bearing. Costume designer Lisa Zinni has Ellis impeccably attired in a chocolate stripped suit with vest, cravat and high collar. As John, Ellis is not only stiff upper lip. His whole body is stiff. He delivers his lines with the clipped cadence of the English upper-crust.

Robidas is rounded and slouchy in demeanor, a rakish mustache adorning his putty face. He is outfitted in a dandy maroon velvet smoking jacket and plaid pants. As Algernon, Robidas lounges about on chairs (in a "semi-recumbent position") in the elegantly-appointed set designed by Bob Phillips, and leans to and fro, as if buffeted by winds of desire. He speaks with the garrulous overstatement of enthusiasm.

Alexie Gilmore (Gwendolen Fairfax) is a vision of Victorian grace, a Gibson Girl of charm and beauty in a wonderful white dress and blue, gray, yellow and white stripped jacket with yellow cummerbund, gloves and dainty purse. Zinni's crisp costume design emphasizes Gwendolen's flirtyness marching determinedly toward marriage (symbolized by a black tie that binds).

Erin Partin (Cecily Cardew) is spring effervescence in purple and white with a big bow at the back of her dress. As Cecily, Partin is as flouncy and light as flower petals.

Into the scene of domesticity steams Helsinger as Lady Bracknell, in a gray dress like a dreadnought fit for a battle, guns at the ready, topped by a hat adorned by a bird. As Bracknell, Helsinger bites off each word and spits them out like cannon shot, his eyes ablaze.

In secondary roles, Suzanne O'Donnell is splendidy demure as Miss Prism, Cecily's governess, and Wayne S. Turney, is delightful as Rev. Canon Chasuble.

In supporting roles, Greg Wood is humorously supercilious as Lane, Algernon's butler; Brad DePlanche is hilariously silly as Merriman, Worthing's butler; and Lauren Mulcahy is noteworthy as Worthing's maid.

Jane Ridley does a superb job as accent coach. Thom Weaver lights the actors and stage fully. Matthew Given adds some nice chirping birds in his sound design.

If you're going to see one summer theater show this summer, "The Importance of Being Earnest" should be the one. Don't miss it.