On Theater:

Among the devotees of the works of William Shakespeare, few can approach the fervor of Susan Berkompas, producing artistic director at Vanguard University, who played Desdemona in both high school and college productions of “Othello” and went on to study under a renowned Shakespearean scholar.

Berkompas has passed along her devotion to the Bard to her acting students, 10 of whom are presenting a sort of Shakespearean all-star game titled “Shakespeare’s Kings, Lovers and Fools.”

Berkompas has not only compiled and adapted Shakespeare’s works into an impressive stage production, but also directed and choreographed the show and, to top it off, appears in a second-act faceoff with her best student in a snippet from “Richard III” before blending into the ensemble for the rest of the program.

Few playgoers will instantly recognize all of the Bard’s works being presented, but most will pick up on the extended scenes from “Hamlet” and “Othello,” rendered with performance-level interpretation. The climactic sequence from the latter tragedy, with Ryan Miller and Karah Gravatt, is especially memorable.

The lone downside of the production is that, while the actors are identified, it’s difficult to ascertain which of them is performing what scenes without advance familiarity. Miller, for instance, is a recognizable figure on the Vanguard stage, while Gravatt stands out as the only blond actress in the cast.

Other students in the Vanguard production are Rosalyn Brickman, Paige Brinskele, Michael Dye, Royen Kent, Lorene Lindblom, Barbara Richardson, Zach Simons and Michelle Upton.

Miller draws the plum assignment of playing Richard III opposite Berkompas in an extended visceral sequence. He’s also Julius Caesar on the Ides of March, as both male and female conspirators portray his assassins, and King Claudius in the “Hamlet” finale.

It’s not all tragedy. Some of the comedies (“Twelfth Night,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”) are woven into the mix, and Berkompas has punctuated the dialogue with familiar modern quotes (Presidents Kennedy, Nixon, FDR and Clinton all are represented).

The dramatic action is punctuated by several haunting pieces of original music by Mark Davidson, a longtime local jazz combo leader and Vanguard alumnus who serves as musical director for the show.

The director’s mission, Berkompas asserts, is to demonstrate that “Shakespeare’s works are not only classic works of genius but also applicable to our current-day situations. Human nature is what it is, regardless of period, and nobody captures the human condition better than William Shakespeare himself.”

Berkompas notes that “Shakespeare’s Kings, Lovers and Fools” will be published and distributed for use throughout the theatrical community.

A potential tour also is under consideration.

If You Go

What: “Shakespeare’s Kings, Lovers and Fools”

Where: Vanguard University, 55 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa

When: Closing performances at 8 p.m. tonight, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

Cost: $12 and $14

Call: (714) 668-6145

TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews appear Fridays.