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Every September, the Laurel Mill Playhouse presents its One Act Festival. Anyone may submit a one-act play and the board of the community theater picks the best dozen or so to showcase during its festival.

"We had about 30 submissions this year," said Maureen Rogers, the spokesperson for the Laurel theater company. "We look at the context for the play — is it fit for a PG-13 audience? If it's not too long. The best one-act plays are 15 to 30 minutes."

Starting this weekend the group will present the selected plays, with a different group each weekend through Sept. 19.

The best of the plays might advance to compete at the Maryland Community Theatre Festival.

"We did ‘This Play Sucks' in 2008, and it finished third at the Maryland One-Act Festival," said Rogers, who said she earned a best actress nod from the Maryland Community Theatre Festival for her performance in that play.

The four plays that open the festival this weekend are "Oubliette," a story of a priest visiting a nursing home; "The Deal," a suggestion at the first conversation between the Pilgrims and Native Americans; "There is No Such Thing as Cold," an unusual conversation between a husband and wife about cold feet; and "See You on the Outside," about a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and a burglar being stuck together.

Tickets are $13 or $10 for seniors and students. There is also a $25 ticket that is good for all three weekends. The theater is located at 508 Main Street, Laurel.

Jake and his many women: We have a preview this week of a new play opening at the Bowie Playhouse today, Neil Simon's "Jake's Women." The play is being produced by 2nd Star Productions.

Summer's over: School is back in session, and another sign that summer is coming to an end is the City of Bowie's Sunday Sunset Concert Series' conclusion at 6 p.m. Sunday. The U.S. Navy Academy Band is scheduled to perform a Salute to America at at Allen Pond Park, 3330 Northview Drive, Bowie. Call 301-277-1402.

Last chance for the biker king: The Laurel-based Rude Mechanicals' biker bar-version of William Shakespeare's "King Lear" closes Saturday at the Greenbelt Arts Center.

ksain@gazette.net