What greets audiences as they enter the Ogunquit Playhouse for the current production of “Ragtime” is a magnificent piece of theatrical sculpture — a monumental head of Lady Liberty. It is an marvelous replica of just the face of the Statue Of Liberty, devoid of her crown, as she stares out at the audience. Her huge blank eyes are haunting and her expression is dour.

As Lady Liberty floats  into the rafters, the cast is revealed in an opening production number that is a stunning mix of frozen tableau and dynamic stage movement. It’s an exacting flow of excellent choreography that results in an act that is very hard to follow. The stage doesn’t reach this level of vivacity until the Baseball scene in Act 2.

The scope of RAGTIME is panoramic. It is a dramatic vista of the social and racial divide of pre-World War I America. Such an undertaking is very difficult to conceive in a single evening of theater. The milieu is distilled by weaving the fate of three distinct families in the suburbs of New Rochelle, New York.

Through a confluence of bizarre circumstance, the three families (privileged whites, newly arrived Jewish immigrants, and an estranged African American couple from the Harlem Jazz clubs) are stitched together by the strife of the times.

The costumes, designed by the Broadway legend Santo Loquasto are exquisite and chromatically themed — a white suite of ivory Victorian wealth, a rag-tag mess of indigent browns evoking poverty and struggle, and a very smartly tailored ensemble of jazzy elegance.

Many of the era’s famous personages make appearances on the stage. Stanford White, the famous New York architect, is murdered for his illicit affair with the young Elizabeth Nesbit by her jealous husband. Harry Houdini dazzles as he performs an up-side-down escape hanging high above the amazed throng while suspended on wires. Henry Ford extols the virtues of mass production, joined by a chorus of dancing mechanics. Booker T. Washington philosophizes and Emma Goldman joins the fracas as the megaphone for worker’s rights. Actress Klea Blackhurst is simply terrific as the feisty rabble rouser as she sings and harangues her disgruntled hoard of sign carrying picketers with welcomed relish.

For those of us that love antique automobiles, “Ragtime” features a beauty. It is a gorgeous horseless carriage, a marvel of design, with a polished brass radiator and headlamps that shine like gold and richly tufted, plush black upholstery. It is a motorized jewel, an un-estimable token of status and success, especially for a black man. Sadly, the magnificent car is destroyed by a bunch of red-necked loonies from the New Rochelle Volunteer Fire department, resulting in the pivotal point upon which the plot of this story hangs.

Special mention is noted for the contribution of the very young actor, Tyler Vladis, as The Little Boy.  He is the first to speak at the play’s opening and is a constant source of humor and vitality in each scene that he plays. His joyous youthful charm is an infectious pleasure and he is destined for a grand theatrical future.

The Tony Awards in 1998 went to “Ragtime” for Best Book, Best Score, Best Orchestrations, and Best Featured Actress, along with 13 nominations. The 1981 Milos Forman film of “Ragtime” featured Jimmy Cagney as the Chief of Police. Cagney came out of retirement at age 81 and is fondly remembered for his remarkable portrayal and his red handlebar mustache. All is based on the 1975 novel by E.L. Doctorow.

“Ragtime” continues through Aug. 26. Performances are Tuesday through Sunday with matinees on Wednesdays, Thursdasy, Sundays and some Saturdays. Running time is 2 hours and 45 minutes.    Regular ticket price ranges from $52 to $102. Student rush tickets are sometimes available on the day of performance at $20. For all ticket information call the box office at 646-5511.

— Gregory Morell writes reviews for the Journal Tribune.