photo by: Journal-World File Photo

Theatre Lawrence is pictured in this file photo.

Theatergoers can take in six stories in one evening during this weekend’s Festival of Short Plays at Theatre Lawrence.

The event, now in its second year, only features scripts from regional playwrights, said Dani DeGarmo, the theater’s marketing coordinator. She said the selection process for this year’s festival started in the summer of 2018.

Two performances are scheduled, one on Friday and one on Saturday, at the theater, 4660 Bauer Farm Drive. Each performance starts at 7:30 p.m., and the same six works will be performed on both nights. Tickets are $8 and can be purchased at theatrelawrence.com.

Outdoor poetry workshop

Novice and experienced poets will be walking along the Kansas River and writing about what they see at an outdoor workshop this weekend.

The free event, called “Voices in the Wind: Poetry, Nature, Song,” is part of a series of workshops and performances called the Ad Astra Writing Project. Megan Kaminski, an associate professor of poetry at the University of Kansas and the event’s organizer, said the series is intended to help people connect with one another, their communities and their ecosystem through poetry.

“This is totally a community project,” Kaminski said.

The workshop starts at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St., and will continue along the Kansas River. The route is wheelchair accessible. Participants should bring a notebook and something to write with.

Kaminski said the event is open to everyone, even those with no experience in poetry.

On Sunday evening, the Ad Astra Writing Project will host music and poetry performances from several professional artists at Sunrise Project, 1501 Learnard Ave. Those who created something during the afternoon workshop will also be able to share their work at the free performance, which starts at 7 p.m.

Lawrence Family Dance

Dancers of all ages and skill levels are invited to try their hand at barn dancing on Saturday afternoon during the Lawrence Family Dance event.

“We expect to see babies in backpacks, younger toddlers dancing alongside their parents, school-age children dancing with either adults or other kids, middle-aged and older dancers — all enjoying themselves moving to the music of a live, old-time band,” said Lisa Nelick, a member of the Lawrence Barn Dance Association, which is organizing the event.

The dance will be from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the East Lawrence Recreation Center, 1245 E. 15th St.

No prior dance experience is necessary. If a person can walk at a reasonable pace and follow instructions from a caller, they can do these types of dances, Nelick said.

Tickets can be purchased at the door. The cost is $15 for the first two family members and $5 for each additional family member. Children 2 and under are free.