What Joan Lipkin has in mind for playgoers is a theatrical buffet, an opportunity to sample seven short plays, rather than settle in for a full-length entrée. Plus, “Briefs: A Festival of Short Lesbian and Gay Plays” is the first theater festival in St. Louis to present lesbian and gay plays by different playwrights.

“The Jewish tradition is steeped in storytelling and in social justice,” said Lipkin, producing artistic director of That Uppity Theatre Company, a playwright and winner of the St. Louis Arts and Education Council’s 2012 Arts Innovator Award. “This festival is an opportunity to bring to light the stories of people who often are not seen and not heard, but the plays are not exclusively for lesbian and gay audiences. These are human stories.”

Featuring seven plays, the festival runs for three performances Feb. 24-26, at La Perla, 312 North 8th Street. The performance space includes a bar and a disc jockey will be on hand to provide music in between performances.

“This is definitely a casual event,” said Lipkin, who is co-producing the festival with Darin Slyman, CEO and publisher of Vital VOICE Media. “I think the times are asking us to find our joy, at an affordable price. I also want to grow the community artistically, help us all connect with each other, join in conversations.”

Lipkin selected plays by playwrights from across the country. None of the seven plays runs longer than 10 minutes. “With this set-up, if you don’t engage with a particular piece, wait a few minutes and see what’s next,” Lipkin said.

The 20-plus local actors in “Briefs” incorporate “a diverse spectrum of gender, race, age, and orientation,” Lipkin said. Actors include Lola van Ella, Robert Davis, Kylie Gregory, Ken Haller, Bob Harvey, Daniel John Kelly, Chuck Lavazzi, Theresa Masters, Reginald Pierce, Ariel Saul, Troy P. Turnipseed, Erin Vlasaty, Donna Weinsting and Bobbie Williams.

Lipkin also called on local talent to direct. Edward Coffield, Michael B. Perkins, Annamaria Pileggi, Ed Reggi, Vanessa Roman and Bonnie Taylor will direct six of the plays. Lipkin will direct “Attack of the Dorothies” by J.E. Phelan. “It’s about an acting team that puts on a play called ‘Our Sanctified Marriage’ to honor their lifestyles-and then the gays come to town,” Lipkin said. “It’s a mash-up of ‘50s values, characters from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and zombies, and it’s hilarious.”

Coffield, production manager at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and associate artistic director of the New Jewish Theatre, will direct “Shiny Pair of Complications” by J. Stephen Brantley. “It’s a sweet, funny, warm play about a father and son who go to a fancy department store to buy the son a suit for his wedding,” Coffield said. The play features actors Harvey and Turnipseed.

“It’s exciting to be part of a new play festival focused on the community at large that provides a forum for playwrights writing about lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender individuals,” said Coffield, who recently was nominated for a Kevin Kline Award for directing Mark Harelik’s play “The Immigrant” at the New Jewish Theatre. “It’s also astounding how diverse the plays are. They speak to every corner of the gay community, but all echo universal themes.”

Other plays in the festival include “Partners” by EM ((CQ)) Lewis, “Ladies’ Room” by Carolyn Gage, “Write This Way” by Donna Hoke, “Madrigal in Black and White” by Patricia Montley and Lipkin’s “The Date,” which was published in “Best American Short Plays 2009-2010” (Applause, $18.99) and has been produced in California, Rhode Island and London.

“Like everything I do, this festival is a grand experiment-call it innovative,” Lipkin said, laughing. “Basically, ‘Briefs’ is a celebration of our community that will leave audiences entertained, informed and uplifted.”