“Timon of Athens,” through Aug. 3, PA Shakespeare Festival, Schubert Theatre, DeSales University, brings together many of what could be dubbed “The PSF-All-Stars” for a ribald, bold and pertinent reimagining of one of William Shakespeare’s most obscure plays.

The July 25 opening night performance was seen for this review.

Many of the actors in “Timon of Athens” have been at the PA Shakespeare Festival (PSF) for numerous seasons since its founding in 1992.

Greg Wood (Timon), who has been at PSF for 26 of its 34 seasons, energetically and authoritatively leads a rollicking PSF ensemble that includes those from the 2025 “Summer Theatre Series”: Brandon E. Burton (Alcibiades), who portrayed Walter Young in “A Raisin in the Sun”; Michael Doherty (Lucullus), who was Leo Bloom in “The Producers,” and Anthony Lawton (Sempronius), who was Franz Liebkind in “The Producers.”

PSF veterans in the cast include Susan Riley Stevens (Apemantus), who was in “Macbeth,” “King Lear” and several “Extreme Shakespeare” productions at PSF; Karen Peakes (Flavius), who was in “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” 2024), Carl N. Wallnau (Senator), whose first PSF show was in 1997); Gabe Moses (The Painter/Ensemble), in his sixth PSF season, and Taylor Congdon (Ensemble), whose PSF shows include “Much Ado About Nothing” and “Private Lives.”

Also in the cast: Christian Tuffy (The Poet), Mark Yowakim (Lucius) and Maya Jean Marino Cappello, Jamir Fisher, Bella Lucano and Teddy Novak (each in the Ensemble).

“Timon of Athens” (full title: “The Life of Tymon of Athens”) is believed to have been written by William Shakespeare and Thomas Middleton circa 1606.

The play tells a tragic tale of woe, the fall of Timon from his life as a wealthy gentleman of Athens, who gives lavish parties, discovers he has debts he cannot repay, and becomes a hermit who lives in a cave.

It’s an old story, the plot of which is recounted in many a popular song, notably “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out,” written by Jimmie Cox:

“Once I lived the life of a millionaire

Spent all my money, didn’t have any care

Took all my friends out for mighty good time ...

“Oh, nobody knows you

When you’re down and out

In your pocket, not one penny

And as for friends, you don’t have any”

The song, written in 1923 about the post-World War I recession of 1920-21, was popularized in a 1929 recording by Bessie Smith at the start of the Great Depression, was part of the folk music revival in a rendition by Nina Simon in 1960 and became an “MTV Unplugged” standard for Eric Clapton in 1992.

The song isn’t heard in the PSF production of “Timon.” However, the song helps me to see “Timon” through not only the eyes of a man and his misfortunes, but as a cautionary tale in the largesse sense for one to be prepared for an economic downturn at any time.

The PSF production of “Timon Of Athens” is unplugged in the sense that it’s presented in what’s called “Extreme Shakespeare,” akin to what would have been presented in Shakespeare’s day, with no director, with actors choosing their own costumes and with minimal lighting, sound and set design. In this, as with unplugged music performances, the song, or as it were here, the play, is stripped down to the bare necessities.

Not unlike the annual Major League Baseball “All-Star Game,” the PSF actors are on their game and are free-range (they, after all, are in charge) actors. “Timon of Athens” benefits from this novel, loosey-goosey and idiosyncratic approach.

Greg Wood is especially adept in this schemata. Wood is commanding as Timon, a powerful, exalted, self-consumed “man in full” (reference: Tom Wolfe’s “A Man in Full” 1998 novel and 2024 Netflix series). His blue eyes sparkle like diamonds, his smile radiates riches, his stance bequeaths a wealth of emotions. That’s Act One.

In Act Two, Wood crawls from the wreckage, as it were, ragged of cloth, dirty of face and a shell of his former self. He’s beaten down by life, albeit, his own life, his own undoing. He unravels like a ball of yarn. Yet through it all, and because of this, Wood evokes great empathy, making us feel his pain, his suffering, his shaming, and, yes, his humanity.

Wood’s performance is one of the greatest performances in the history of the PA Shakespeare Festival. It’s simply astounding, made more so by the fact that Wood is on stage for nearly the entire play and is in virtually every scene.

Though Timon is certainly center stage, “Timon of Athens” is kind of a two-hander (typically, when a play features two actors) with Susan Riley Stevens as the philosopher Apemantus (The name is said to mean “feels no pain.”), who battles Timon every step of the way, literally and figuratively. Stevens provides a bitter, sardonic and acerbic antidote to Timon’s pie-in-the-sky, high-flying ways. She is the clear-eyed seer of his fate. Not that he listens. Until it’s too late.

Each actor deserves notice. Some are mentioned here because their parts are written in depth and each has more to work with in fashioning their roles.

Karen Peakes as Timon’s loyal ward Flavius provides a steady hand as narrator and, if you will, apologizer-in-chief for Timon. She presents a very forthright performance.

Carl N. Wallnau impresses, striding the stage as an imperious Senator.

Anthony Lawton is hilarious as Sempronius, a friend of Timon.

Michael Doherty is mirthful as Lucullus, another FOT (Friend Of Timon).

As comedian Joey Adams (1911-1999) used to say, “With friends like these, who needs enemies?” You can take that to the bank. Timon sure should have.

“Timon of Athens” is the 32nd of Shakespeare’s 38 plays to be produced at PA Shakespeare Festival. If you’re a Shakespeare completist, “Timon of Athens” is a must-see on the way to your, ahem, canon-ization.

“Timon of Athens,” 7:30 p.m. July 23, 24, 25, 31, Aug. 1; 2 p.m., 7:30 p.m. July 26, 30, Aug. 2; 2 p.m. July 27, Aug. 3; 6:30 p.m. July 29, Schubert Theatre, Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley. 610-282-9455, https://pashakespeare.org/