June 16-18: Youthquake Theater presents 'As You Like It' at The Growing Center

The woods are alive with political intrigue, cross dressing, and true love as Youthquake Theater presents Shakespeare’s classic comedy As You Like It. Performances at the Somerville Community Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave. in Somerville are Friday, June 16 at 5:30 p.m; Saturday and Sunday June 17-18 at 2 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. The cast features young actors from Somerville, Medford, Cambridge, Melrose, Belmont, Lexington, and Ayer. For information call 781-648-5579 or visit www.youthquaketheater.com

Shakespeare’s crazy comedy begins after Duke Senior has been exiled from the court by his brother, the usurping Duke Frederick. The former flees to the Forest of Arden with his faithful lords, leaving behind daughter Rosalind, who maintains a close friendship with her cousin Celia, the usurper’s daughter. When the royally born but poor Orlando de Boys tries to win his fortune in a wrestling match, he and Rosalind lay eyes on each other and fall madly in love. Their love remains unrequited as The Duke banishes Rosalind for fear she threatens his rule. The loyal Celia can’t let her go alone, and accompanies her cousin into the Forest. Rosalind pretends to be a boy, Celia pretends to be the boy’s sister, and the fool Touchstone comes along for the ride. Back at the court, Orlando learns of a plot against his life and heads for—you guessed it—The Forest of Arden. He encounters the disguised Rosalind and confesses his lovesick state, and Rosalind-as-Ganymeade convinces him to woo her/him to prove that his love is true. Meanwhile, shepherd Silvius confesses his love for forest dweller Phoebe, who has fallen for Rosalind-as-Ganymeade, while Touchstone pursues the goatherd Audrey. Orlando’s brother hunts him down in the forest but later regrets that he ever tried to hurt his sibling, and falls for Celia-as-Aliena. Duke. When Orlando can no longer stand it, Rosalind reveals herself and weddings ensue. To contrast with all the joy and happiness, the melancholy lord Jaques, who was banished with Duke Senior, is always around to put a damper on things.

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. Every Youthquake production is directed, acted, and produced entirely by children and teens. They focus on the works of William Shakespeare, and have presented more than a dozen plays including Hamlet, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, King Lear, Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Winter’s Tale, Much Ado About Nothing, The Merchant of Venice, and The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged). Through their defiance of ageism and genderism, they eschew traditional portrayals of the Bard and embrace a more inclusive paradigm that allows viewers to expand their own Shakespearean horizons.

Abby Dickson, Artistic Director, founded Youthquake when, at age 13, she found a dearth of opportunities for girls to play significant Shakespearean roles. After the success of their 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. She 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). She directed youth-led productions of The Tempest and Othello for Actors’ Shakespeare Project, was assistant to director Allyn Burrows for ASP’s production of The Tempest, and last summer she played Angela in Striving Artists Theater Company’s production of The Comedy of Errors. Most recently, she played the title role in a youth co-production of Titus Andronicus by ASP and Charlestown Working Theater. In 2014, she spoke about Youthquake Theater at TedX Beacon Street’s Youth Day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUaU9kdt9I8.