Now is the winter of our discontent. These classic lines from Shakespeare’s play Richard III will presumably be said by Chris Roberts when he stars as the legendary hunchbacked king at this weekend’s performances by the Shakespeare for the Masses troupe. Then again, Mr. Roberts is one of the finest Little League coaches on the Vineyard, and so for him perhaps every winter is filled with discontent. Wherefore art thou my bat and ball?

For the rest of us, though, a Masses performance is a chance for much more than contentment. It is a time to laugh, cry and wonder aloud at the mayhem this troupe of actors consistently creates. They are dedicated to the fine art of free art, producing abridged versions of the Shakespeare canon throughout the year at no charge. This is their seventh season and 32nd show over all. All performances run under an hour and are often gleeful maulings of the original text. For Richard III, the group will be messing around with both the script and the real life king, a discrepancy so large, so sayeth The Richard III Society, that it pickets productions of the play.

This will be the first show for the company done in the newly renovated Vineyard Playhouse, located at 24 Church street in Vineyard Haven. Since the renovations began, they have had to take their iambic pentameter on the road — inside, outside, in trees, center squares, your neighbor’s porch (yes, it really was a sword fight you saw last summer by the barbecue).

Other actors in the show include Amy Sabin Barrow, Brooke Hardman Ditchfield, Nicole Galland, Jill Macy, Chelsea McCarthy, Rob Myers, Xavier Powers and Molly Purves.

Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10, and 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 11. And again, the shows are free. Not that the actors would turn away a donation if so inclined.

Now out of my dear sight reader. Thou dost infect my eyes.