Courtesy photo Christine Burke lies across the laps of, from left, James Castle Stevens, Aaron Strange and Mark Heulitt, her co-stars in Philip Barry's 1939 comedy "The Philadelphia Story."

Playwright Philip Barry had an eye, and an ear, for the conspicuous consumption that Philadelphia's upper-class society took for granted in the 1930s. Luckily, he also had a heart that understood the humanity beneath it all. Obviously, the really rich are not like everyone else, but there are times when life touches them just as it does the rest of us.

Set in 1939, "The Philadelphia Story" may have aged a bit, but it still has bite along with its irresistible warmth and humor. It challenges its leading actors with iconic roles seared into the American moviegoing psyche by the indelible performances of Katharine Hepburn as Tracy Lord, the spirited, self-involved daughter of Philadelphia wealth; Cary Grant as her ex-boozing ex-husband; and Jimmy Stewart as the cynical reporter who wants to skewer the entire hoity-toity bunch before he falls under Tracy's spell. No one could assemble a cast quite like that today, but Santa Paula Theater Center and director Fred Helsel have come up with an ensemble that, while not necessarily looking perfect for the task, still offers a credible and amusing rendition.

Christine Burke, without Hepburn's audacious gusto for independence and superwoman self-esteem, still demonstrates Tracy's indomitable spirit while revealing her underlying self-doubt and compassion. Her Tracy is formidable, but realistic enough to gain understanding. James Castle Stevens isn't as suave as Cary Grant (who could be?), but he's sufficiently polished and engagingly at ease as Dexter, the ex. And Aaron Strange, without Jimmy Stewart's distinctive awkwardness, still runs the range of emotions of the interloper at the wedding feast.

Solid supporting players enhance the production, especially Nancy Finn as the sharp-tongued, prying tabloid writer; Doug Friedlander, who as the family's nutty Uncle Willie solidifies his lock on eccentricity as an art form; and Allison Williams as Tracy's pesky young sister. In slightly briefer roles, veterans Leslie Nichols and Ron Rezac round out the edges as Tracy's parents, and Patrick J. Saxon fits in comfortably as Tracy's brother. Mark Heulitt handles the stuffy role of Tracy's intended well.

Attractive sets by designer Will Shupe and period-appropriate women's costumes by Randon Pool enhance the proceedings, with the women of all ages looking especially elegant.

Present-day audiences may wonder what all the fuss was about concerning Tracy's headlong independence, how quickly Dexter recovered from being a boozing abuser during their brief fling at marriage, or how her father's romantic foibles are easily written off — "People and sin are inseparable" — but they can't blame this cast for not engagingly representing the substance and style of Barry's play.

— E-mail Rita Moran at ritamoran@earthlink.net.