These 12 popular plays of Shakespeare average 69% of the originals.
They are vacuumed of archaic and repetitive language, structured as thoughts and carefully noted.
They are not dumbed-down translations, but professionally condensed originals, ready to perform.
I’ve written an essay for teachers. 
Acting Shakespeare is not about rhythm or punctuation, but inner life and invention.
Kids have hated Shakespeare for the 50 years that I have been aware of his plays;
stick with unabridged density, and literary babble, and nothing will change.
Instead, give them intelligently vacuumed scripts, and lots of inspiration to play.