Those who choose their theater tickets based on whether the title sounds familiar should still go see "Leading Ladies," not only because everyone who has heard of it will be there, but also because the production by Diamond Head Theatre is a hoot.

"Leading Ladies" is relatively new — it premiered in 2004 — and was written by Ken Ludwig, likely America’s leading comic playwright with hits that include "Lend Me a Tenor," "Midsummer/Jersey" and "Crazy for You."

Ludwig’s works are frequently based on Shakespeare; "Leading Ladies" is a retelling of "Twelfth Night" in much the same way that "West Side Story" was a retelling of "Romeo and Juliet."

"Leading Ladies" is also a farce — but then, so was "Twelfth Night" — and that’s the point: What is high or low art? Authenticity or pretense? Serious or silly?

The challenge of farce is finding the right balance between the "what" and the "how": Played too broadly, it devolves into slapstick; too straight, it just seems vapid. That balance varies from audience to audience, and success depends on the actors’ skills to gauge the audience and adapt.

DHT’s production hits the nail on the head.

The directors are also its leads: Paul T. Mitri as Leo Clark and Rob Duval as Jack Gable (Clark Gable, got it?) are struggling Shakespearean actors — British, of course — in the 1950s bringing "culture" to rinky-dink towns in rural America, more specifically to York, Pa. (Ludwig’s birthplace). The number of sly references in this work is too high to count.

Mitri and Duval are stellar. As directors they have crafted a focused production that lets nothing extraneous intrude. As actors they play their parts to hilarious effect and with great comic timing. Best of all, their crisp delivery lets the audience catch every word, at least every word not drowned out by laughter.

With her lively stage presence, Tricia Marciel as Meg is a pretty, sweet, petite match for Leo, and Leiney Rigg (Audrey) becomes a long-legged, endearingly ditzy blonde for Jack. Matthew Kelty delivers a wonderful doofus as the uptight, hypocritical and self-righteous priest, rubbing his forehead in an attempt to control and "repackage" his baser instincts.

As the small-town, low-brow Doc, Walter Eccles balances his character nicely between brusque yet kind-hearted, crass yet sympathetic. Florence and Butch are ably delivered by Ann Brandman and Seth Lilley, respectively.

Streamlined sets (Willie Sabel) and lighting (Dawn Oshima) set the tone and provide focus, while costumes (Evelyn Leung and Karen Wolfe) and makeup (Friston S. Ho‘o­kano) heighten the comedy. Especially noteworthy is the clean sound design (Mikel J. Humerickhouse) that showcases the dialogue.

"Leading Ladies" begins with a conventional scene about a mismatched couple, but the real conflict arises in the next scene, played before the curtain: an intentionally bad mishmash of Shakespeare meant to entertain lodge members, who would prefer to see a stripper. That conflict culminates in a two-minute summary of "Twelfth Night" that reveals the connections between Shakespeare’s and Ludwig’s plays.

A farce can be taken at face value, enjoyed for the gags, the mistaken identities and the hilarity, but done well, it also comments on life while gently revealing our foibles. "Leading Ladies" is perfect fare for all ages. You can laugh at the antics and head home, or spend the evening mulling over the meaning of life.

Teachers should note that Ludwig’s book about teaching Shakespeare to children is due out this year, and this play is an enjoyable way to study Shakespeare. You don’t have to know Shakespeare to enjoy "Leading Ladies" any more than you have to be a fool to live life, but it helps.

DHT’s "Leading Ladies" is a high-energy romp with great advice: Let go of uptight values, take a chance on being a fool and embrace life! It is certainly what DHT, Mitri and Duval have done.