Fiddles were smoking, spoons were clacking and one fascist-killing machine was furiously playing the songs of Woody Guthrie Saturday night at Lyric Theatre’s production of “Woody Sez.”

It’s the latest in a long series of tributes to Guthrie, the folk musician born in Okemah, whose protest songs and ballads swept the nation, and whose guitar was often emblazoned with a label that proclaimed “This Machine Kills Fascists.”

Originally conceived by David M. Lutken and Lyric Theatre’s new artistic director, Nick Corley, “Woody Sez” premiered in 2007 in Edinburgh before embarking on a European tour.

Now, the show has come to Guthrie’s home state starring the original cast – Lutken as Guthrie, with Darcie Deaville, Helen J. Russell and Andy Teirstein playing a variety of roles. This ensemble succeeds both as an overview of Guthrie’s life and a barn-burning journey through his music.

Nearly 30 songs – mostly Guthrie’s with a few traditionals thrown in – make an appearance in the 90-minute production, which starts slowly, but builds up to an immensely enjoyable show.

An austere stage was adorned simply with wooden crates and a variety of instruments, including guitars, fiddles, a double bass, banjo and an Autoharp. Hidden in the performers’ pockets were harmonicas, spoons and a jaw harp.

Despite its rather brief running time, the show achieves a nice balance between recreating the events of Guthrie’s life and performing his songs, without having to sacrifice a substantial portion of either.

Life-landmark hits include Guthrie’s tragic childhood that was punctuated by a number of fatal house fires and the institutionalization of his mother, who suffered from Huntington’s disease, in an insane asylum.

Later in childhood, Guthrie became musically proficient, which would lead to a life of traveling and playing songs informed by the circumstances that defined those early years – poverty, the Great Depression and the Oklahoma Dust Bowl.

The strains of “This Land is Your Land,” “This Train is Bound for Glory,” “Riding in my Car” and a number of other influential Guthrie works keep the atmosphere upbeat, despite the personal hardship that seemed to follow Guthrie.

“Woody Sez” doesn’t shy away from these facts, but more than anything, it’s a celebration of his music and the unique “hillbilly perspective” he was always willing to share, whether he was in New York City, California or his home state.

The cast effortlessly shifted between short sketches, sparse harmonizing melodies and big ensemble numbers. The casual approach to the production invited plenty of singing along from the enthusiastic crowd, and the show’s tendency toward simplicity seems quite appropriate for the man to whom it pays tribute.

Guthrie died in 1967, himself a victim of the hereditary Huntington’s, but the influence of his compositions has spread far and wide across the folk genre and beyond. Lyric’s production of “Woody Sez” is a consistently entertaining way to take a trip back in time to visit the man and his music.

-Dusty Somers is a journalism junior.