The first weekend in May brings Orcas Island’s local playwrights’ festival to the Grange from April 30 to May 3.

The festival, sponsored by the island’s Actors Theater, encourages locals to show off and develop new theater art skills, including writing, acting and directing.

Seven seasoned and new playwrights have written short plays including: a tense WWII encounter in Germany, strange happenings at a compost pit, and a burglar who gets more than he expects during a robbery. Although it’s a family-friendly event, some of the material may be too intense for younger children, according to organizers.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. The $5 tickets will be available at Darvill’s Bookstore and at the door. Nobody will be turned away for an inability to pay.

The seven plays are:

“Snow White-Big Green,” written by Elsie McFarland, directed by Doug Bechtel and performed by Lin McNulty, Steve Henigson and Dove Dingman is a humorous look at Snow White after several years in the woods with the seven dwarfs.

“The Birthday Present,” written Ron Herman, directed by Louise Carnachan and performed by Ed Nebeker and Daria Stankevich is about a young girl who awakens to her own compassion and generosity at her birthday party.

“Bedside Manners,” written by McNulty, directed by John Mazzerella and performed by MollyBee Welkin and Bob Littlewood is about angst of the recently widowed 80-year-old lovers at their first tryst at the local hotel.

“Odysseus Domesticated,” written by Bill Westlake, directed by Patty Monaco and performed by Fred Vinson and Susan Kreiger is an interstate trip in search of adventure which leads a middle-aged couple to the realization of what’s really important.

“With Windows Painted Black,” written by Gini Stern, directed by Tony Lee and performed by Katilyn Richards and Colin Smith is a story where truth and beauty conquer hate and tyranny.

“Still Life,” written by Michele Griskey, directed by Robert Hall and performed by Nichole Proffitt and Herman, where two people find one another under an extraordinary circumstance.

“Always Be Composting,” written by Terrel Kaplan, directed by Herman and performed by Annette Mazzerella, Suzanne Gropper and Luann Pamatian, is a tangled Orcas yarn of compost pits, Master Gardeners, worms of a different color – and a dead body.