Heidi’s Gentle Lessons No Sermon From the Mountain : Stage: In the Laguna Playhouse Youth Theater presentation, the little orphan spreads an old-fashioned message of cheerful optimism.

Mention “Heidi,” and anyone who thinks of Johanna Spyri’s 1880 children’s novel--as opposed to, say, Heidi Fleiss--doubtlessly conjures images of Alpine meadows dappled with wildflowers and dancing sunlight.

So it’s not too surprising that when Laguna Playhouse Youth Theater director Joe Lauderdale was casting about for the spring production of his 1994-95 season, “Heidi” came to mind.

But the calendar and the weather weren’t the only factors that persuaded him to choose “Heidi,” Lauderdale says.

“Right now, from my vantage point of working with kids, it seems that there is a real need for kids to feel the kind of positiveness that Heidi projects,” explained Lauderdale, whose production runs today through April 16 at the Moulton Theater in Laguna Beach. It is directed by Youth Theater instructor Heather deMichele.

“There’s a lot of negativity out there,” Lauderdale said. “It’s sad to see a 10-year-old kid who has a cynical point of view, but it’s happening. As a society, we need to counterbalance that, to tap the innocence and spirit and naivete that a lot of kids have lost. Those are things that just seem to come naturally to Heidi.”

“Heidi,” the best known of the approximately 50 stories written by the Swiss-born author, is about a young orphan sent to live with her hermit grandfather in his mountain cottage. Whether at home in the mountains or in the city as the companion of the young invalid Clara, Heidi’s freshness and optimism revitalize the spirit of almost everyone she encounters.

“Heidi” has been consistently popular in Europe, especially in Germany, and was translated from German into English in 1884. Yet in the United States, many schoolchildren are unfamiliar with the story, Lauderdale said.

“I have lists of what the children are reading in the schools, and I don’t see that many kids are reading this book anymore,” he said.

“That’s another reason I was attracted to the idea of staging ‘Heidi.’ The themes in this story are still very relevant; for example, the idea of Clara, the young girl who is healed, not through medicine, but through her own mind and spirit. That’s something we’re talking a lot about these days.”

Lauderdale said that he reviewed several “Heidi” scripts before settling on this adaptation by Thomas Olson. Olson, who has created a number of shows for the internationally known Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis, wrote “Heidi” on a commission for the Arkansas Art Center and First Stage Milwaukee in 1993. Lauderdale said he believes that his is the first staging of the show on the West Coast.

Spyri’s novel runs more than 200 pages, and condensing all the action into a two-hour play was daunting, Lauderdale said. But he says Olson’s script carries it off admirably, setting the stage for a production that Lauderdale says will be lively enough for children as young as 5 or 6.

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That in itself will be a change from company’s first two shows this season--”The Sword in the Stone,” two one-acts based on the legends of King Arthur, and “White as Snow, Red as Blood,” a somewhat dark retelling of the Snow White story.

“Our first two shows relied a lot on dialogue, which may have been disappointing to people who didn’t know our history,” Lauderdale said. “ ‘Heidi’ is a combination of action and ideas; there’s a lot of humor, and it’s fast-paced in that the scenes are short.”

In his script, Olson uses flashbacks as well as montage scenes, in which action may overlap or occur simultaneously on two parts of the stage. Set designer Dwight Richard Odle implements this through the use of a scrim. When lit from behind, it shows Heidi’s mountain cottage; when lit from the front, it depicts the exterior wall of Clara’s Frankfurt estate.

“The whole approach is very cinematic and engaging,” Lauderdale said. “ ‘Heidi’ is a lot of story to tell in such time, but I think Tom’s script really captures the essence of it.”

* “Heidi,” a Laguna Playhouse Youth Theater production, opens tonight at the Moulton Theater, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. 7:30 p.m. $10, adults; $7, children 13 and under. Children under 4 are not admitted. Reservations suggested. Through April 16. (714) 494-8021.