There are plenty of choices for those seeking good times on Bainbridge this weekend.

First, the big-ticket item on the agenda is the eighth annual Island Theatre Ten-Minute Play Festival at Bainbridge Performing Arts.

This year’s lineup includes the work two first-time playwrights.

Jennifer Pippin-Montanez and Robert Craighead are both familiar faces from island stages but newbies to the work of writing. Both have a play featured in this year’s festival.

Pippin-Montanez wrote “Best Defense” and Craighead’s piece is titled “The Rose Bowl.”

“I think both of them are first-time playwrights,” said Festival Manager Steve Stolee. “She wrote a serious piece, and it has to do with her background as a teacher. It’s about bullying and it’s about current conversations about gun violence, written in a very subtle way, I think. It’s deeply insightful.

“Robert’s is just a hoot and half,” he added. “It’s about two couples trying to decide whether they’re going to watch ‘The Bachelor’ on TV or the football game. It’s goofball humor, but it’s almost a farce, I guess you’d say.”

The other plays in this year’s line up are “Alexa” by Jeff Fraga; “Dancing with Orion” by Diane Walker; “Devolution” by Connie J. Bennett; “Hijab” by Catherine Rush; “The Lady from Out of the Past” by Maria Viera Beatty; “Let Me Finish (One Last Chance)” by Dan Rosenberg; “The Raven in the Woods” by Tamarah Rockwood; and “Trans-Matters” by Eve Palay.

Directors for this year’s plays are Stolee himself, Scott Breitbarth, Jeff Brown, Hanna Eady, Karen Hauser, Jennifer Hodges, D’Arcy Clements, Kristi Jacobsen, Ryan O’Donnell, and Fred Saas.

This year’s cast includes Jim Alexander, Libby Clements, Samantha Byergo, Sam McJunkin, Tres Cozine, Evan Lenz, Terace Yeatts, Wayne Purves, Melissa Munden, Marilyn Dearsley, Tammy Byergo, David Hager, Sandi Spellman, Jeff Brown, Tyler Weaver, Marybeth Redmond, Pete Simpson, Kristi Ann Jacobson, and Eve Palay.

The plays will be fully staged in three shows at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16 and Saturday, Aug. 17 (and also a 3 p.m. matinée Saturday, as well) at Bainbridge Performing Arts.

Tickets, $15 to $20 each, are available at www.bainbridgeperformingarts.org.

Also happening this weekend, slide guitar virtuoso Ben Powell, along with opener Veronica May, will perform at the Treehouse Café at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16.

There is no cost to attend the show. Donations will be accepted.

Admission is for those 21-and-older only.

For seven years Powell has been making a name for himself as a riveting live performer. Well-versed in the pre-war country blues genre, Powell now spends his time composing original material, making his way through the world like a one-man band of years past but with a fresh, vibrant sound.

He has recently played such festivals as Telluride Brews & Blues (where he won first place in their blues contest), and opened sold-out shows for Buddy Guy and Jonny Lang.

The night’s opener is a similarly multi-talented performer.

Playing music since 1985, living with Bipolar 1 Disorder since 2008, traveling to educate audiences about mental illness and tying it all together in her unreleased autobiography, “Open Book,” May’s purpose is to spread her messages of compassion, understanding, hope, triumph and the importance of trial.

Her music and illustrations depicting mental illness awaken the mind, stir the heart, and open the eyes to the wild world of thought and perception.

Visit www.treehousebainbridge.com to learn more.

The Bainbridge Island Museum of Art will continue their free weekly “Art In Action” series Friday, Aug. 16 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Drop in and create while you’re visiting the museum Join teaching artists in one of BIMA’s galleries as they guide hands-on projects designed for all ages. No pre-registration is necessary for this free program.

Art in Action designed for individual visitors, families, and other small groups. Large groups (8 or more participants) and visitors with special needs should contact the education department (education@biartmuseum.org or 206-451-4017) at least two days in advance of their visit to ensure they can be accommodated.

Then, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Lynda Sherman will lead a four-hour linoleum printing workshop at BIMA.

According to event organizers, it “will have demos and lively discussion while we carve one color reduction linoleum blocks. We will learn methods of transferring an image to lino, and best carving practices of this traditional printing method. You will leave knowing how to continue this printing technique in your own home without special equipment.”

Registration is $64 for members, $75 for non-members. Visit www.biartmuseum.org to learn more.

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