THEATER REVIEW ‘ROMEO AND JULIET’ : Such Sweet Acting : A small troupe in Moorpark pulls off the Shakespeare standard with little scenery but a good understanding of the dialogue.

Most people wouldn’t begin a search for well-presented Shakespeare by checking out a 32-seat storefront theater in Moorpark.

Here’s your chance to get the upper hand. The California Shakespeare Company’s current rendition of “Romeo and Juliet” is right up there with the best of Ventura County Shakespeare--at the very least.

Company members use the building’s minimal resources to their advantage: With virtually no scenery and the audience all but in their laps, these actors are forced to act.

Grandly named, The California Shakespeare Company is in fact almost a one-man operation at the organizational level, with chief William H. Fisher producing and directing this production and even showing patrons to their seats. Fisher’s associate and co-producer, Monika Copeland, was passing out tickets (seats must be reserved in advance) and selling snacks at intermission.

Inside, the members of the cast were acting their bodkins off, figuratively at least. Fisher, who teaches classes in acting Shakespeare to young people throughout the year, has assembled an able group of youthful and adult performers and coached them well.

Unlikely as it may seem, a couple of the most able among them are veterans of the rowdy, determinedly lowbrow Moorpark Melodrama, which operates only a few blocks away.

A consistent problem with most amateur Shakespeare groups is that several members of each company seem to be speaking with little or no comprehension of the dialogue.

This time around, the performers not only know their lines, they know their meanings. It’s a tremendous help to the audience, as well.

This Romeo, John Jarvis, is a brooding, lovesick puppy out of “Beverly Hills 90210” or some such contemporary teen-Angst drama. He spends a lot of time in the shadows while his pals Benvolio and Mercutio have all the fun.

Sarah V. Strachan shows considerable spunk as Juliet, playing a somewhat underdeveloped part convincingly.

As in much drama, it’s the supporting characters who are written most entertainingly. Here, the actors are having a lot of fun, as well.

Julia Peacock is a dithering Nurse, younger than we’re used to; Gary Schaffner lights up the stage as a nervous, bumbling page; and Hugh McManigal--with bangs and eyebrows reminiscent of Mr. Spock--presents a real threat as the troublemaking Tybalt.

Two veterans of many Moorpark Melodrama productions turn in particularly strong performances. Jeff Wallach is fun-loving Benvolio (his infiltration of the Capulets’ party is engagingly staged), and Damian B. Gravino shows great authority as the Prince and Friar John.

If there’s one problem that plagues this cast, it’s that several members mumble too much; Gravino should give them all lessons in artful projection.

Jereme Leslie plays Mercutio as the kind of party guy who gives fraternities a bad name.

The imaginative dance choreography is credited to Joy Enright and Deborah Dawson, who plays Lady Capulet. Dawson’s teen-age daughter, Maggie is seen in two relatively minor roles; local theatergoers might recognize her (or her hairdo) from the Los Angeles cast of “Les Miserables.”

The swordplay, supervised by Bill Handel, is more convincing than one might expect in such cramped quarters.

A perennial favorite of young audiences, “Romeo and Juliet” is presented here with no gimmicky attempts at relevance--it’s not set in early California (as a local production was last year), or ‘50s New York City.

Still, this “Romeo and Juliet” is some of the most accessible Shakespeare to have played locally in some time.

* WHERE AND WHEN

“Romeo and Juliet” continues Thursday through Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m. through Oct. 26 at the California Shakespeare Company, 111B Poindexter Ave. (at Moorpark Avenue) in Moorpark. Admission is $10; $8.50 for seniors and students. Due to the theater’s limited capacity, all tickets much be booked in advance. For reservations or information, call (805) 498-3354 or (805) 373-9243.