THEATER REVIEW: ‘MOONDAISIES’ : Flower Power : Zaniness is the operative philosophy in ‘Moondaisies,’ intended for children and adults.

The first in a projected series of productions aimed at a young audience, Kent Hamilton’s “Moondaisies” should appeal to children 10 and under and their parents.

Currently being performed on Saturday and Sunday afternoons in a large tent behind the Simi Valley City Hall, the play is being produced under the auspices of the Santa Susana Repertory Company (of which author Hamilton is a trustee) and is being staged on the set constructed for the Company’s recent version of “Romeo and Juliet.”

Set in modern times, “Moondaisies” begins with a father, portrayed by producer Bill Rapp, cajoled into telling a bedtime story to his son and daughter, played by Joshua Nelson and Risa Littman.

Upset by the childrens’ accidental destruction of a portion of her garden, their mother has stipulated that a flower play a heroic role in the tale.

The scene shifts to a “Star Wars”-like dimension, where the father and children have joined a group of “Space Pioneers,” humanoid save for the requisite protagonist, a “moondaisy” who bears a startling resemblance to Mom. Enter a bunch of “Space Pirates,” led by the evil Zap, who has no use for life and beauty. Confrontations, musical numbers and a fairly obvious ecological parable ensue.

Zaniness is the operative philosophy here, with the Space Pirates a particularly doltish bunch played broadly and for maximum laughs by adults John Comstock, James Egan, Paul Roosevelt, Anthony Ross, Larry Transue, Kristin Scott and--as leader Zap--Dave Clare.

It’s with that bunch (many of whom, in different uniforms, also portray the good guys) that parents are going to have the most fun: the actors are having such a good time up there onstage that onlookers might easily envy them.

Younger children should identify with the characters played by Nelson and Littman, and also go for the rough-and-tumble humor and the attractive cast. Sophisticated youngsters and teen-agers are likely to identify with the youngster who, at a particularly soppy moment, confesses to feeling like a co-star in a Care Bears movie.

Acting, as such, is less Stanislavski here than Ronald McDonald. Leads Littman and Nelson perform notably well in relatively straight roles, and Nelson (who needs to project more when he sings) shows teen-idol potential.

The performance seen for this review featured, as it happens, a couple of understudies. Theresa Reynolds filled in for Melissa Crook as the mother/moondaisy, and vocal coach Judy Sherman took Reynolds’ usual place as “Ms. Morebucks, the Satellite of Greed.”

No slight intended on the absent Crook, who chose a bad day for a schedule conflict, but it’s difficult to imagine how anyone could have played the part any better than Reynolds, who seemed properly motherly when called for and delightfully goofy when got up as a large, well-meaning and not particularly bright talking flower.

The songs, by author Hamilton and composer Rick Field, were serviceable, but the lyrics tend to get lost under the ensemble vocals and prerecorded musical tracks. Director James Egan and choreographer Laura Squier keep things moving smoothly, and costume designer Kay Myregard succeeds in making much out of relatively little.

* WHERE AND WHEN: “Moondaisies” will be performed Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 4 p.m. through Aug. 19 in the tent behind the Simi Valley City Hall and library complex, 2929 Tapo Canyon Road in Simi Valley. Tickets are $5. Call (805) 371-1715 for further information.