Maybe you have read Jane Austen’s novel “Sense and Sensibility”— or have seen the movie version with Kate Winslet and Emma Thompson — the one about two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. Elinor is the practical and reserved one while Marianne is a hot mess of impetuous emotion.

Add economic turmoil, gossip, and disappointing romances, and you have everything you need for a comedy, right? With actor and playwright Kate Hamill’s clever adaptation, you absolutely do, a perfect way to blend Austen’s narrative of the brutal social world of 18th-century England, where money rules and status is your destiny, with her wit and satirical bent.

For the Alley Theatre’s new production, director Adriana Baer veers far away from “Masterpiece Theater” predictability, and amps things up with a self-consciously over-the-top comedic emphasis, and it is non-stop fun. If you want to sit around and brood about economic injustice and get all upset about the cad quotient of certain men, well, okay, but for this show, you can take in these points while laughing all the way. And it’s helped along by a vibrant Melissa Pritchett as Marianne and a convincing Elizabeth Bunch as Elinor.

It’s a refreshing and exhilarating experience, made even more intriguing by the clever juxtaposition of modern elements in the sets and music and the late 18th century costumes and diction of the almost-Regency period in England. Austen thought it better to pummel your culture’s deficiencies with satire and humor, so why not run with that on the stage?

There are a lot of moving parts in this dramedy, such as a chorus-like group of gossips with their snarky responses and opera glasses commenting on social faux pas and serious scandals, wittily choreographed dances that really are worth thousands of words, demanding physical comedy, and lots of high drama that almost parodies the well-worn, tamer renditions of Austen’s novels on screen and stage. But, you never feel like things are out of control. On the contrary, this is a well-oiled machine with an outstanding ensemble cast in which 33 characters are in 45 scenes played by only 11 actors. It’s a marvel to watch, with some of the characters in drag — a delightful laugh-out-loud touch.

Hunter Kaczorowski’s costumes are clever, at times over the top in the best way (just wait until you see his use of hot pink with ballroom attire), with some being almost Hogarth-inspired creations that satirize the petty obsessions and pretensions of certain characters with a slyly satirical edge. There’s nothing like a hideous outfit to accompany the obnoxious utterances of a ridiculous character to make us all laugh.

Michael Locher’s ingenious “flexible set” offers a modern edge to the industrial scaffolding that is above a circular spinning lower stage that can be used effortlessly as a scene for a dance or a dinner, or a complete emotional meltdown on a heath replete with clouds and stormy weather to accompany all those tears. It’s a sharp material reminder of the cruel social machine that can crush our natural emotions.

This set design parallels the amazing sound design (Sharath Patel) and the exquisite music: a string quartet that plays contemporary pop music much of the time. Elinor plays something from The Fray on the piano! When people finally get their love lives sorted out, you hear A-ha’s 80’s hit “Take On Me”! It’s a reminder that you might be in the brutal social Darwinism of English courtship customs, but heartbreak is relevant no matter the century in which you are dancing.

But none of this works without fantastic acting. Dylan Godwin shines whether he is playing a smirky servant or a wily John Willoughby, sliding from charming to catty to cruel in a way only a card-carrying cad can do. Todd Waite’s comic expressions and supercilious comments are hilarious, and Christopher Salazar, Chris Hutchinson and Michelle Elaine are all stand-outs in their multiple roles.

But the synchronicity of the entire cast is what gives this production such a punch. So whether you are an Elinor (“I will be mistress of myself!”) or a Marianne (“Do not ask me not to feel!”), you will enjoy the high drama and hi-jinks of this intricate, fun, and funny production of Jane Austen’s not-so-lost world.

Doni Wilson is a Houston-based writer.