Island Theatre Presents its 12th Annual Ten-Minute Play Festival August 21 – 23 at Bainbridge Performing Arts Center

Tickets are now on sale for Island Theatre’s much-loved Ten-Minute Play Festival!

Now in its 12th year, the Festival features 10 of Kitsap County’s best short plays penned by Kitsap County playwrights in a three-day festival of live performances. Performances will take place in the Buxton Center at Bainbridge Performing Arts. Curtain times are 7 pm Thursday August 21, Friday August 22, and Saturday August 23, with an additional 3 p.m. matinee on Saturday. The ten plays were selected from over 65 submissions by a panel of theatre professionals. They are helmed by ten local directors and cast with over two dozen local actors.

The Festival’s theme this year is ESCAPE. How have our 10 playwrights interpreted that theme? For some, it’s an escape from. For others, an escape to. For some, it’s a physical escape; for others an escape of the mind. For some, it’s an act of choiceless desperation; for others, one of powerful self-assertion. The resulting program includes plays that are funny, serious, quirky, surprising, and thought-provoking. Plays are suitable for young adults and older.

The 10 plays in this year’s Festival are:

“Even Butterflies Aren’t Perfect”

Author: Karen Polinsky Director: Sabrina Fiander Cast: Autumn McMurry, Jessica Khailo

“Mojave Lift”

Author: Aleks Merilo Director: Jennifer Pippin Montanez Cast: Wayne Purves, James Macpherson

“Chances of Winning”

Author: James Anderson Director: Jeff Brown Cast: Steve Crampton, Elissa Kratzer

“Hilltop”

Author: Nora Vitz Harrison Director: Kristi Ann Jacobson Cast: Sandi Spellman, Stacy Higginbotham, Ellery Hatfield

“Buffaloed”

Author: Doug O’Connor Director: Kristi Ann Jacobson Cast: George Shannon, Tyler Weaver, Jacob Freimark, Kathy Currie

“First Time Carmen”

Author: Jeffrey Brown Director: Ruth Bookwalter Cast: Alex Sanso, Dolly Courtway

“Lesser Known Snakes of the Bayou”

Author: Gina King Director: Wilson Milam Cast: Ali Lovie Zollo, Helen Heaslip, Ashley Duffy

“Time for a Chat”

Author: Jennifer Pippin-Montanez Director: Fred Saas Cast: Jackie O’Brien, Richard Gustafson

“Barking Mad”

Author: Jason Erickson Director: Tracy Dickerson Cast: Matt Alder, Claudia Soisson

“Space or Time”

Author: Christopher Albrecht Director: Steve Stolee Cast: Carmen Pinto, Kim Hamilton

Tickets are on sale now at www.islandtheatre.org.

The 2025 Ten-Minute Play Festival is produced by Island Theatre, a nonprofit, volunteer-run theatre company affectionately known as “the best damn theatre company in the world!” In addition to the annual Ten-Minute Play Festival, regular programming includes Island Theatre at the Library—staged dramatic play-readings at the Bainbridge Public Library, and Island Theatre at Your House (“YoHo”)—potluck play-readings in private homes at which guests are welcome to read a part. Island Theatre and The Ten-Minute Play Festival are supported by ticket sales, patron donations and One Call for All.

More information is at www.IslandTheatre.org.

Come meet the playwrights behind this year’s 12th annual Ten-Minute Play Festival

Hear them talk about their plays, ask them questions, and enjoy a wide-ranging discussion about plays, playwriting and theatre.

Join us on Tuesday August 5th at 7 pm in the Bainbridge Public Library to hear from the
playwrights and get a sneak preview of the 12th annual Ten-Minute Play Festival.

The 2025 play line-up:

“Even Butterflies Aren’t Perfect”
Author: Karen Polinsky

“Mojave Lift”
Author: Aleks Merilo

“Chances of Winning”
Author: James Anderson

“Hilltop”
Author: Nora Vitz Harrison

“Buffaloed”
Author: Doug O’Connor

“First Time Carmen”
Author: Jeffrey Brown

“Lesser Known Snakes of the Bayou”
Author: Gina King

“Time for a Chat”
Author: Jennifer Pippin-Montanez

“Barking Mad”
Author: Jason Erickson

“Space or Time”
Author: Christopher Albrecht

Island Theatre and The Ten-Minute Play Festival are supported by ticket sales, patron donations and One Call for All. More information is at www.IslandTheatre.org.

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