CHILDREN’S THEATER REVIEWS : Some Differences Be-Twain 2 ‘Tom Sawyers’ : * Orange Coast College’s simple production is especially fine for kids; Irvine Valley’s is more complex, with multilevel set.

Other than the same author’s name on both programs, the Orange Coast College and Irvine Valley College Theatrefaire for Children productions of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” have about as much in common as Injun Joe and Becky Thatcher.

That’s a plus for theatergoers, because it lets you choose a “Tom” that’s best suited to your young’n’s age and sophistication.

If you’re looking for a simple, homespun telling of Mark Twain’s classic, especially for younger children, the OCC version will suit you fine; if you’d like something more complex and a mite fancy-like, head on over to Irvine Valley College.

IVC’s “Tom,” staged by Theatrefaire co-founder and artistic director Blake Gould, was originally adapted for the stage by Timothy Mason for the Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis. In staging and in story line, this production, performed on Wally Huntoon’s rambling, multilevel outdoor set, is a far more intricate retelling, providing not only an evening of family entertainment, but a fair-to-middlin’ lesson on life in the South, circa 1812. Live period music by Cottonwood, a foursome performing on banjo, harmonica, guitar and dulcimer, adds to the authenticity.

Twain appears as narrator, sharing juicy tidbits about the folks of St. Petersburg, Mo., “a shabby little village on the banks of the Mississippi.” As Twain, Donald Formaneck, resplendent in rumpled linen and puffing a fat see-gar, is an ideal traveling companion: low key, with a dry but gentle wit. As Tom Sawyer, Mark Austin, a wiry teen-ager with high-wattage grin, easily projects the roller-coaster personality of a 12-year-old boy. When he’s up, he’s very, very up. But when he’s down, well, durn it, life just ain’t worth livin’.

Mason’s script gives us ample opportunity to know Tom better. Rounding out the familiar graveyard, whitewashing and funeral scenes are more intimate moments that spell out an adolescent boy’s frustrations and triumphs. We watch him declare his love to Becky, then, when he’s scorned by her and scolded by grown-ups, we see him lick his wounds in a dream that night. We see Tom and Huck Finn swear an oath of silence after they witness Injun Joe’s graveyard crime, but after Tom’s visit to the wrongly accused Muff in jail, we see him shoulder responsibility and decide that right and wrong are more important than a schoolboy’s pledge.

Donnie Jeffcoat is Huck Finn, “idle, lawless, vulgar and bad”--in short, just the kind of guy Tom looks up to. He can cure warts with a dead cat and isn’t afraid (well, not really) of ghosts or murderers or civilized folk. Jeffcoat has Finn’s earthy persona down cold, puffing at his pipe or gnawing at his toenails with equal aplomb. As the womenfolk who attempt to keep Tom in line, Cecily V. Davis is a fetching but sassy Becky, and Terri Ciranna gives an Aunt Polly wise men dare not cross.

One of the fundamental differences between IVC and OCC’s production of “Tom” is their portrayal of the outcast Injun Joe. At IVC, Joe (Aaron Hendry) is an angry, violent man who sends shivers up your spine with his one-eyed gaze. At OCC, he’s a surly, not-too-bright loner whom Tom easily outsmarts. That lack of any real sense of danger is carried throughout the show, which makes it more accessible for younger audience members.

In fact, OCC’s version, directed by Alex Golson from a script by Dave Barton and Matt Bond, is told much the same way a child would tell a tale: it covers all the high points but doesn’t bother too much with the details. Shorter in length (about 1 1/2 hours to IVC’s two), it includes all the famous scenes and even gussies up a few with some kid-pleasing special touches. For example, a strobe light flashing through the whitewashing scene adds a clever silent-picture effect, and a portion of the eerie graveyard scene is played in the main aisle. Other imaginative touches include a pair of strolling musicians to mask scene changes, and the use of the stage wings for the schoolroom and graveyard scenes.

At OCC, Trace Kirkpatrick is a spunky Tom, and Corrine Ehlers a cranky but good-hearted Aunt Polly. Although not terribly threatening, Joe Dunham as Injun Joe has a demon’s laugh that fills the house. Mindy Titus, who alternates in the role of Becky Thatcher with Janae Sherrele Dimick, is coy and sweet, but had a tendency to rush her lines at last Saturday’s performance, as did Johnny Hall as Huck. Justin Isfeld was wonderfully prissy as Tom’s half-brother Sid.

‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’

An Irvine Valley College Theatrefaire for Children production of Timothy Mason’s adaptation of Mark Twain’s novel. Directed by Blake Gould. With Mark Austin, Donald Formaneck, Donnie Jeffcoat, Aaron Hendry, Cecily V. Davis, Terri Ciranna. Sets by Wally Huntoon. Costumes by Mary Ann Griego. Lighting by Chris Medvitz. Sound by Eric Kerns. Choreography by Charlotte Wolfe. Performances today through Saturday at 8 p.m. at 5500 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine. Tickets: $8 to $10. (714) 559-3333.

An Orange Coast College adaptation of Mark Twain’s novel. Script by Dave Barton and Matt Bond. Directed by Alex Golson. With Trace Kirkpatrick, Joe Dunham, Mindy Titus, Janae Sherrele Dimick, Johnny Hall and Justin Isfeld. Sets by David Scaglione. Costumes by Dawna Oaks. Lighting by Jane Hobson. Performances today and Friday at 10:30 a.m., Saturday at 3 and 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. in Orange Coast College’s Robert B. Moore Theatre, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa. Tickets: $5 to $7. (714) 432-5880.