To start a new theater season with a Depression-era drama might seem a tad…risky. Isn’t this the same crowd that spent billions watching a fantasy about blue avatars? But Clifford Odets’s Paradise Lost is no period piece, with its story of a family teetering from affluence to bankruptcy in the span of a few years feeling all too familiar. Thankfully, Odets infuses the hard-luck tale with hope—a hot commodity right now—and humor, delivered in large quantities at Intiman Theatre by the mother and father of the clan, Clara (Lori Larsen) and Leo Gordan (Michael Mantell).

Larsen slings sass (“If you go bankrupt, who will pay my poker debt?”) with a side of fruit, pushing normalcy and apples on the family like a good Jewish mother, even as she quietly parts with all their possessions—first the lace tablecloth, then the table. Even the house itself seems to fade, as the walls—painted scrims—grow more transparent with the passing of each act (a nice touch by lighting designer LB Morse and set designer Tom Buderwitz). Meanwhile, Mantell plays the saintly father—who tries to give all their remaining cash to the homeless—with such skill, it’s hard to believe he’s capable of delivering the play’s final rallying cry. It’s a minor complaint, since the monologue itself still serves as the capstone to a play rich with poetry and heartbreaking performances—and a reminder that if paradise was lost in the 1930s and found again, there’s hope for us yet.

Paradise Lost, directed by Damaso Rodriguez, runs at Intiman Theatre through April 25. It’s the first play under new artistic director Kate Whoriskey. Click here for ticket info.