SANDPOINT — Two rival theater groups stood nose-to-nose, each hell-bent on protecting the turf they considered their own.

The threat of violence, fairly crackling in the air around them, became increasingly real as one faction threw out a line from Shakespeare’s “As You Like It.” Not to be outdone, the opposing thespians landed on their feet with a clever retort pulled from Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest.”

Throwing caution to the wind and ignoring all previous rules of engagement, the first group went right over the top and spouted an entire page of dialog from Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”

Fast as a grassfire, the gloves were off and the actors were at each other’s throats — a dangerous, tussling ball of raw animosity as they fell to the ground in a theatrical scrum.

Or so some would have you believe.

The fact of the matter is that, for the first time, members of the Unknown Locals and the Panida Playhouse Players have combined forces to mount a pair of holiday themed, one-act plays onstage at the Panida.

The shows, written by the Panida’s Becky Revak and Unknown Locals’ Chris Herron, are family friendly fare, set to delight audiences Nov. 15-18. Not only are the two playwrights getting along famously, their respective troupes are playing well with others, too.

“The reason these shows happened was that there was the impression that there was a sort of ‘Sharks & Jets’ mentality between us, which is ridiculous,” said the Unknown Locals’ Chris Herron, mentioning the apocryphal but nonetheless famous street gangs from the musical “West Side Story.”

According to Revak, the community can and does support both theater groups. And that theory will be proved out this coming weekend as both companies share the Panida stage.

The one-act plays take on two upcoming holidays in a production that falls under the blanket name of “Hearthside Stories.”

“Becky’s takes place at Thanksgiving; mine happens at Christmas,” Herron said. “We’re cramming them all in.”

Revak’s play, “Thanks a Lot,” features a cast of three women and three men in the story of a lady who is left standing at the altar the day before Thanksgiving. With a fancy honeymoon suite already booked and paid for, she decides to use the accommodations over the holiday, despite the sudden lack of a husband.

“And then it turns into a mistaken identity scenario,” Revak said, adding that the script is full of close calls, near misses and constant comings and goings in a fast-paced, farcical take on romance gone awry. “It’s Scooby-Doo, basically.”

Herron’s creation, “True Believer,” chronicles the Yuletide adventures of a 30-year-old who still lives with his parents and still believes in Santa Claus.

“Every year, he waits for Santa and every year, he falls asleep,” said Herron. “But this year, he has provisions — and binoculars, just in case Santa Claus turns out to be too small to see with the naked eye.”

With a cast of three men, two women and a trio of elves, “True Believer” adds dramatic tension when the audience learns that this is also the year the parents are done with having their adult son living at home and plan to give him the boot.

Unbeknownst to one another, both playwrights were working on holiday scripts before the idea to collaborate was broached. Revak already had decided on the one-act approach. Herron, meanwhile, was crafting a full script, but found himself stuck as he tried to flesh out the story line in long form.

“When I talked to Becky and she suggested doing one-acts, I thought, ‘I can do that!’” the writer said.

“This all started because both of these were holiday shows and it made sense to wrap them together,” said Madeline Elliott, who acts and directs with the Unknown Locals and is married to Herron. “It takes some of the burden off of both sides.”

Revak, who has written several short- and full-length film scripts, said “Thanks a Lot” is her third stage play. Herron remarked that “True Believer” brings his script count up to “seven-and-a-half.”

“I don’t get full marks for this one — it’s a one-act,” he quipped.

Turnout for the September auditions was robust and rehearsals have gone so well that both theatrical camps are encouraged that the team mentality can be revisited going forward.

“Hopefully, this will work so we can do it again,” said Herron.

Longtime residents will recall that the state of community theater in Sandpoint has had its ups-and-downs over the years. But despite the tug-of-war of conflicting agendas and the clash of egos that has toppled former troupes, the love of the art always seems to bring new talent forward to give it another go.

In the past, conventional wisdom had it that the formula for success was to produce a warhorse musical, a children’s show or a big-name play in order to fund more experimental work later in the season. The idea of presenting original scripts by local playwrights was hardly addressed at all.

Thankfully, the contemporaries on the local theater scene have a different viewpoint — both on the inherent value of original work and on what constitutes success.

“We’ve done lots of things that no one has heard of and people come out to support it,” Elliott said.

“Sandpoint seems to allow community theater to be self-sustaining,” Herron said. “And that’s about all you can ask for.”

Revak is somewhat more fulsome in her assessment.

“You get negative talk here and there, but community theater is part of this town,” she said. “It has been here and gone away, but now it’s gung-ho. It just keeps coming back strong and blooming over and over again.”

Hearthside Stories — Two One-Act Plays will be performed this Thurs.-Sat., Nov. 15-17, at 7:30 p.m., and on Sun., Nov. 18 for a 3:30 p.m. matinee at the Panida Theater.

Tickets are $14 adults, $10 seniors and youth, available in advance at Eve’s Leaves, online at: www.panida.org and at the box office on the day of each show (if still available).