Death and comedy mix freely in EMU Theatre’s annual 10-minute play festival, this year titled “Snake, Rattle and Role,” which opened at the Lawrence Arts Center on Friday night. Producers Nick Stock and Andy Stowers attempt to weave nine plays featuring either death or comedy (or sometimes both) together to create an entertaining mix celebrating the company’s 15th anniversary. It’s an ambitious task, and, like most experimental theater, it’s hit and miss.

The first act of the festival is particularly strong. It opens with “Emilia’s Lover” by Feloniz Lovato-Winston, a charming comedy about a woman (Carol Holstead), who claims to have taken a spirit lover. Her estranged daughter (Eva Nelson) and weak-willed son (Bobby Bierly) aren’t sure what to make of it. Holstead is delightful as the flighty Emilia, who continues to assure her children she isn’t insane, despite her claims that the invisible Rodrigo has come to her for two and a half weeks before he has to move on to cheer up another lonely old lady. Nelson is sharp as the acerbic daughter Olive, and Bierly does a fine job waffling between thinking his mother is crazy and believing her story.

“Kuppulls Thairoppee” is an amusing revenge fantasy by Stock, wherein the former failed patient (Jay Maus) of a therapist (Josh Stueve) ties him up and takes over a session for a dysfunctional couple (Kristin Colahan-Sederstrom and Stowers). Maus has a ball exposing the couple’s base issues, insulting them in ways that would make a true therapist shudder. Colahan-Sederstrom is terrific as a domineering spouse with daddy issues, and Stowers is perfect as her milquetoast husband. Their alternating resentment and respect for each other makes for great comedy.

Liza Pehrson’s “Visitation (After Three Days, One Must Sleep)” is a sweet story of a young woman (Margaret Skarka), who hasn’t slept for three days following the death of her father from cancer. His ghost (Dan Born) visits her and comforts her, despite her anger at him for being dead. It’s a moving piece, and Skarka hits all the right notes of a confused young adult numb with grief.

The jewel of the festival, though, is Stock’s tragedy “The Things We Leave Behind.” Directed by David Butterfield and starring Butterfield as a dying, bitter old cynic and Stock as his estranged son, the story concerns the final confrontation between two men who are supposed to love each other but have spent a lifetime building up resentment instead. At the center of their struggle is the mental illness and suicide of Malcolm’s (Stock) mother, for which he blames his father. Butterfield and Stock give searing performances as two men who have allowed tragedy and disappointment to destroy their relationship. It’s the longest play in the festival and easily the best. It’s unfortunate EMU chose to place it second in the rotation, because both its quality and its power would have made it a better choice for the second act.

And that second act is not nearly as strong as the first. Bob Bierly’s “Silent Alarm” is a clever comedy about a home invasion gone wrong, and Pehrson gives a fantastic performance in Stowers’ “God’s Work,” which is a confusing piece that never quite lets us know what it’s about. Neither has the energy or depth of the first act plays, though, and the other two offerings, “Halloween: The Dark Knight” and “Eight,” are banal attempts at comedy that seem designed more to amuse the actors than the audience.

EMU has the clever idea to send its improv troupe out to entertain the audience during scene changes, which keeps things lively. But the actors spent a lot of their time getting rules or input from the audience. Often, by the time they got the scene started, it was time for them to exit again. It was a good idea that needed some refinement.

In all, “Snake, Rattle and Role” (an inexplicable title for the festival) has a lot to recommend it. There are fine performances by the actors across the board, and some of the plays are exquisite. But it starts strong before fizzling out in the second act. The things it gets right outweigh those it doesn’t, but one wishes the quality of the material in the first act had been sustained throughout.

“Snake, Rattle and Role” will continue March 29 and 30 at the Lawrence Arts Center, 940 New Hampshire St. Both shows begin at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m., and tickets cost $7 at the door.