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Lisa Richards (right) plays Penny in the Geffen Playhouse’s production of Moss Hart and Geo

Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman’s genius play, “You Can’t Take It With You,” proves that some old lessons in life will never be antiquated.

Christopher Hart, the son of playwright Moss Hart, does his father proud in directing the Geffen Playhouse’s production of the timeless tale of family, identity and finding your own way.

The play’s plot is simultaneously simple and complicated, which is one of its greatest strengths. The Vanderhoff family takes life one day at a time, indulging in quirky hobbies such as boat building and candy making, all the while being content and loving. Their warmth draws many interesting house guests, who add to the hilarious drama that ensues.

The only person trying to get away from this wonderful group of slightly odd characters is the oldest daughter in the family, Alice, who is engaged to the very wealthy son of her boss in New York City.

Set in the Big Apple during the 1930s, the play’s characters are challenged with the changing roles of women, fashion, politics and commerce. While Alice stresses over the introduction of her family to her beloved’s, the audience is drawn into the strange mannerisms and wonderful ability of this family to support each other against all odds.

Hart does a great job of keeping with the original set aspects of the play, making sure to mention political debates and radio news of the time.

The particular casting of this production has a lot to do with its success. Some characters are stronger than others, but all members of the cast bond together with a convincing familial chemistry.

While there are many strong characters in the show, the most powerful is that of Penelope Sycamore, played by Lisa Richards. “Penny,” as she’s referred to in the show, is Alice’s mother and a slightly spacey playwright. Her best features include the use of lewd vocabulary in the presence of the uptight Mr. and Mrs. Kirby, parents of Alice’s fiance, and her deep indulgence in the dramatic world of play writing.

Richard’s charming portrayal of the well-meaning but naive mother is at once hilarious and precious.

Other strong characters include Rheba, the house cook, played by Carla Renata, who performs her job with a light jollity and just a hint of social understanding that saves her from being completely stereotyped as a typical black house servant of the times.

A few characters, such as the diva Essie Sycamore, Alice’s younger sister, played by Dagney Kerr, can be played with such enthusiasm that they can border on obnoxious at times. Essie’s character, however, is forgiven her showboat nature when she prances around the stage in clumsy leaps and pirouettes as the world’s worst dancer in denial.

“You Can’t Take It With You” is a tale about accepting the people you love for who they are. It’s also a wake-up call to those chasing financial success above all else. Martin Vanderhoff, “Grandpa,” teaches the characters, as well as the audience, that the immaterial is what one should value because, after all, you can have all the money in the world, but you can’t take it with you.

-Alexis Matsui