Instead of one two and a half hour Christmas production, Encore Off Broad Street will present Christmas Shorts, four, one-act Christmas plays Friday, Dec. 14 through Sunday, Dec. 16 at the Performing Arts Center.

“This started, us doing a one-act rather than a full-length play, because we spoke to other people who are doing community theater and they told us it’s the best thing to do to start building up your base again,” Beth Taylor, one of the directors said. “We’re trying to make Encore a viable community theater group once again. So we figured we’d take people’s advice who had been doing community theater a lot longer than us. And we found the one act plays and we’re going to see how it works.”

Each play is 15 to 20 minutes long.

“They’re a little out of the ordinary, but they’re a lot of fun,” she said. “I would say bring your sense of humor with you.”

The four shorts,  “Christmas Cards,” “Going Home,” “The Christmas Witch,” and “Nativity,” are a collection of comedies.

Taylor thinks having a smaller cast has worked out well, especially during this busy season.

“It’s very difficult when you have a cast of 15 or 20 [people] to get everybody here on the same night. But when you’re talking about — I think the largest cast is the “Nativity” and it has four people in it,” she said. “It’s easier to get two three or four people together than it is 20 and have a full rehearsal.”

Taylor said the Encore Off Broad Street Production recommends that the audience be at least 15 years old.

“We feel like a vibrant community needs a community theater,” Martha Lockett, ArtsRevive executive director said. “We hope to help make the rebirth of that in this community; it used to be really strong.”

Show times are Dec. 14 and 15 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 16 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10.