Tom and Harriet Bring Their Antics to Town : Stage: Irvine Valley College Theatrefaire will present two children’s plays this month--one based on an American classic and the other, opening today, about a ‘super genius.’

He seeks adventure on the Mississippi, she prefers high-octane jet packs. But both represent that celebrated spirit of American independence, and both will be in Irvine this month when the Irvine Valley College Theatrefaire for Children presents “Tom Sawyer” and “The Further Adventures of Harriet Handleman.”

Opening today and running through July 20, “Harriet,” written and directed by Greg Atkins, is the sequel to last summer’s Theatrefaire hit, “The Everyday Adventures of Harriet Handleman, Super Genius.”

Drawing from a store of James Bond-style gadgets, Harriet and her pals join the meltingly handsome CIA agent Terry Alexander on a breakneck tour of national monuments in search of Harriet’s little brother, Hugo, who has been kidnapped by toxic waste queen and all-around baddie Darleen Thompson-Johnson-Garcia-Swartz-Raincloud-Yee-O’Mally.

“Harriet” is the fourth Theatrefaire show written and directed by Atkins, a self-described jack of all trades who has worked with South Coast Repertory’s Young Conservatory and Adult Conservatory, Long Beach City College and the Los Angeles Music Center’s California Playwrights Project.

Atkins is co-artistic director of the Children’s Theatre Ensemble based at Garden Grove’s Gem Theatre, has written two children’s books, and currently is appearing in a one-man show, “Dark Secret,” aboard the Queen Mary.

Although Atkins’ comic book characters and the high-tech effects (wait till you see how those jet packs fly) may strike a chord with the Nintendo crowd, Atkins doesn’t see them as hooks to bring children to live theater.

“I don’t think kids always need that kind of stimulation,” Atkins said. “The gadgets are appropriate for the genre of ‘Harriet.’ It’s fun to see her as the super genius with all these strange machines. But (along with) the spectacle, we still see a full range of emotions. And that’s what’s important.”

Two days before “Harriet” takes her final bows, Blake Gould will open his outdoor production of “Tom Sawyer” in IVC’s courtyard. With a cast of 38 children and adults and a sophisticated staging that transforms a plain-wrap college campus into a rural, 1800s riverfront town, “Tom” is one of the more ambitious shows attempted by Theatrefaire.

Because Gould considers “the Mississippi (to be) an unseen character in the play,” set designer Wally Huntoon will use rough-hewn woods and the courtyard’s natural greenery to give the stage the look of a rustic pier, which in turn will be the base for everything from Aunt Polly’s house to the murky caverns of a secret cave.

Although live music has been featured in past shows, “Tom” marks a Theatrefaire first by interweaving live period music into the story line, Gould said. He has hired Cottonwood, a local band specializing in pre-Civil War era tunes.

“To bridge from scene to scene,” he said, “the musicians will appear almost as commentators.” The costumed performers will play hymns and folk songs of Sawyer’s day on hammer dulcimer, banjo, guitar and harmonica, and to further educate the audience, they’ll offer a pre-show demonstration of their instruments.

An informed audience and cast, said Gould, are key elements to Theatrefaire’s success.

“We’ve always felt that theater is one of the great teachers of history; it makes it come alive. For example, while rehearsing ‘Tom,’ we’ve been discussing the costumes of the period, the hoop skirts and the foundations that the women wore. It helps the cast see why they walked and stood the way they did. We talk about what kind of games Tom and his friends would play. It all helps them understand why they can’t just stand around in shorts and sneakers and be Bart Simpson as Tom Sawyer.”

Founded in 1982, Theatrefaire presents two family shows on the IVC campus each year, generally one piece of classic children’s literature and one new work by a local playwright. Past seasons have included “The Secret Garden” and “Robin Hood”--and “Twin Desperadoes,” an original work conceived by Gould and written by Atkins and Chris Villa. Last spring, the company staged “The Beauty and the Beast” at the new Irvine Barclay Theater and filled it to more than 90% capacity. Theatrefaire has committed to a second production there next March.

“The Further Adventures of Harriet Handleman” opens today and continues through July 20 in the Irvine Valley College Forum theater. Performances are today, Saturday and July 12 and 13 at 2 and 7 p.m.; July 11 and 18 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and July 19 and 20 at 2 and 6 p.m. “Tom Sawyer” runs July 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26 and 27 at 8 p.m. in the IVC courtyard. “Harriet” is recommended for ages 4 and up; “Tom” for ages 7 and up. Tickets: $8 to $10. Irvine Valley College is at 5500 Irvine Center Drive in Irvine. (714) 559-3333.