Sometimes all you have to do is sit down and write. At least, that was Noah Barfield’s experience when he set out to pen a play for this year’s Ten-Minute Play Festival.

After acting in last year’s festival, the Bainbridge High English teacher thought to himself, “I can do this.”

So he went to the library, checked out a few books, read, and then banged one out, all in the space of a few hours.

Not that it’s always so easy.

“[Writing a ten-minute play] is like writing a poem,” Barfield said. “You have a maximum of three characters; you have minimal props onstage. Everything that is shown has to be shown through words and actors’ movements. It’s this wonderful, tight little puzzle.”

Barfield’s winning submission, “Tree for All,” was one of nine selected for the festival, which is returning for the fourth time on Aug. 21 and 22.

In the past, Island Theatre produced up to 16 plays across two performance nights (half on the first evening and the remainder on the second). But the group decided to reduce the number of plays featured to ensure that fans could enjoy the entire slate all in one night.

This year’s selections explore a motley array of subjects — chance meetings on the ferry, the disappearance of a 20-something, family funerals, and a trip to confession, to name a few — from both experienced and emerging Kitsap County playwrights. Six are festival veterans (John Ratterman, Karen Polinsky, Steven Lee Palay, Paul Lewis, Jeff Fraga and Wendy Wallace) and three are newcomers (Noah Barfield, Rob Burke and Elizabeth Coplan).

“We have some really good writers living in our community,” said Steve Stolee, Island Theatre’s managing director. “Many of them have not explored this part of their artistry before. It’s really cool and fun to see their output.”

And what’s great about the festival is that it’s every play’s debut.

“It feels like you’re experiencing the genesis of a creative act,” said Stolee.

A trio of professional judges will be watching the plays live to determine an overall festival favorite —evaluating character development, plot takeaway, narrative arc and suitability of the format — and the winning playwright will be awarded a cash prize at the end of the performance on Saturday night.

The festival’s directors — Michelle Allen, Todd Erler, Linda Jensen, Matt Longmire, Fred Saas, Pat Scott, Tell Schreiber and Dennis South — selected their casts, which cumulatively include 23 Kitsap actors: Jim Alexander, Thomas Allen, Quinn Balan, Austin Bennett, Susan Bielka, Kent Bridwell, Cymbeline Brody, Tracy Dickerson, Shannon Dowling, Bronsyn Foster, Karen Galven, Carolyn Goad, Rilla Ailes Hughes, Mike Klemetsrud, Joseph Lacko, Patrick Ryan, Per Sherwin, Sandi Spellman, Diane Walker, Tyler Weaver, Nathan Whitehouse, Nita Wilson and Ryder Wing.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to come and see the amazing talent of your friends and neighbors,” Stolee said. “These are people you live with, who have jobs that have nothing to do with drama or theatre, people like you, who have done something really remarkable.”

Island Theatre’s regular schedule includes bi-monthly staged play readings at the Bainbridge Public Library and, in intervening months, privately-hosted potluck dinners during which all guests are welcome to join in a selected play reading. Island Theatre also participates in the Kitsap Regional Library’s One Book, One Community program by performing a staged play reading, tied to that year’s book selection, at multiple Kitsap County library branches.

The festival will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21 and Saturday, Aug. 22 at Bainbridge Performing Arts, 200 Madison Ave. North. Admission is free with a suggested donation of $10.

For a complete list of this year’s plays and more information about Island Theatre, visit www.islandtheatre.org.

Take ten

What: Island Theatre’s Ten-Minute Play Festival.

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21 and Saturday,Aug. 22.

Where: Bainbridge Performing Arts (200 Madison Ave. North).

Admission: Free, but with suggested donation of $10. The event is recommended for ages 13 and up. Some plays may include strong language and adult subject matter.