The talented performers of Youthquake: (left to right) Xavier Harvey, Abigail Dickson, Hayden Latimer-Ireland. ~ Photo by Siena Moraff

By Rebecca Danvers

Think you can’t watch every one of Shakespeare’s plays in less than two hours? Think again. Youthquake Theater, Boston’s youth-run company devoted to the works of William Shakespeare, takes on the whole kit and caboodle in their production of The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised].

Performances are Friday through Sunday, August 19-21, at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and 2:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at the Somerville Community Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave., Somerville. Admission is free but donations are welcome. For information call 781-648-5579 or visit www.youthquaketheater.com.

The irreverent, fast-paced romp through all 37 of the Bard’s plays was London’s longest-running comedy (nine years) when it was created by three-man comedy troupe The Reduced Shakespeare Company. Instead of men in tights, Youthquake offers a version featuring two young women and one guy in (occasional) drag.

From Hamlet in reverse, to the Titus Andronicus cooking show, to the Othello rap, the fast-paced play is full of madcap antics and feverish fun. As The Today Show put it, “If you like Shakespeare, you’ll love this show. If you hate Shakespeare, you’ll love this show.”

Delivering the comic goods for Youthquake will be Artistic Director Abigail Dickson of Medford, Hayden Latimer-Ireland of Somerville, and Xavier Harvey of Boston.

Founded in June 2012, Youthquake Theater started out with a random idea (let’s do Hamlet in the backyard!) and took off with a bang. They are proud to say that their productions are organized, directed, and acted in entirely by children and teens. The company focuses on the works of William Shakespeare, and has presented a dozen productions of his work, including Hamlet, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing, The Merchant of Venice, Two Gentleman of Verona, King Lear, Twelfth Night, and The Winter’s Tale.

Through their defiance of ageism and genderism, they eschew traditional portrayals of the Bard and embrace a more inclusive paradigm that invites viewers to expand their own Shakespearean horizons. Learn more about Youthquake at www.youthquaketheater.com

Artistic Director Abigail Dickson founded Youthquake when, at age 13, she found a dearth of opportunities for girls to perform significant Shakespearean roles. After the success of her backyard production of Hamlet, she and the company found they couldn’t get enough of the Bard, and began churning out productions at an impressive pace. She has played Hamlet, Macbeth, Prospero, Benedick, Titania, Lear, Portia, Proteus, Viola, and Autolycus. Abigail has also appeared in musicals including The Secret Garden (Mary Lennox) and Into the Woods (Little Red), and dramatic plays like Twelve Angry Women (Juror #3). This summer she performed the role of Angela in Striving Artists Theater Company’s production of The Comedy of Errors. Catch her TEDx talk on Youthquake at https://youtu.be/bUaU9kdt9I8.