William Shakespeare's plays are meant to be seen and enjoyed, not just studied in class.

With this in mind, a troupe of actors is taking Shakespeare to elementary and junior high schools hoping that early exposure to the playwright's work will lead to more enjoyment of the plays in adulthood.

"It's seen as so stuffy and so boring, but we've sort of made it that way," said Christopher Clark, a director for the Brigham Young University Young Company.

Members of the Young Company began performing a condensed, one-hour version of Shakespeare's comedy "As You Like It" in Utah schools in September. On Tuesday, Canyon View Junior High School students watched the production, laughing loudly as the characters frequently fell in love.

"I thought they did awesome," said Amberly Smith, a Canyon View ninth-grader who is studying Shakespeare in her English class. "It helped a lot. It's easier to understand seeing it than reading it."

Sponsored by BYU, the Young Company has been taking theatrical productions into the schools for nearly 30 years, adding Shakespeare productions to its offerings in 2000. Two groups make up the company, with one group performing contemporary works four times a week from February to April and another group performing Shakespeare once a week September through April.

Company members travel to schools from Utah County to Ogden for performances, said Rebeca Wallin, theater outreach coordinator for the Young Company and show manager for "As You Like It."

"We want to make sure that they have an opportunity to get some type of art into their system," Wallin said. "We want them to see Shakespeare can be fun."

Auditions for the troupe are open to anyone, Wallin said; this year's 10 Shakespearean actors include BYU and UVSC students as well as college graduates. Clark, who directs the Young Company's Shakespeare productions, condenses Shakespeare's plays to the one-hour length but leaves the wording alone.

"We don't change the text. Everything's straight Shakespeare for the most part because we trust the kids can understand it, and they do," Clark said.

The actors change their performances and emphasize different aspects of the story depending on the age of the audience, Clark said. Even young students find the performances entertaining.

"The second-graders just die. They love it," Clark said.

BYU produces a study guide to go along with the yearly Shakespeare production that is sent to teachers before the troupe performs, Clark said. This gives teachers ideas for activities and an opportunity to explain the plot before the actors arrive.

"So when we do get here, they're really excited," Clark said. Canyon View students responded enthusiastically Tuesday, with many demanding autographs from the cast after the show.

Clark said watching Shakespeare plays helps students understand human relationships.

"It's magic," he said. "It's beautiful, it's funny, it's tragic, it's heart-breaking, it's real."

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page D1.