Two short plays will make up one full show when Vashon High School presents “Laundry and Bourbon” and “Pvt. Wars” this weekend only.

The two one-act plays, written by James McClure, were not chosen lightly by director Stephen Floyd. Each play deals with the fallout of the Vietnam War on soldiers, their families and community, while providing a vehicle to explore themes of friendship.

“I chose this play and the timing of our performances with Veteran’s Day in mind,” Floyd said.

Floyd’s choice — as it often does — involves a lesson beyond the skills of acting. In this case, issues of PTSD and the treatment of veterans when they return from fighting a war far from home were the focus of discussions Floyd held with the actors. It is also of personal concern for the director, who cited his family’s heartbreak witnessing his nephew, a veteran of both the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, struggle with PTSD breakdowns.

Six seniors — three girls and three boys — in the theater arts program, whom Floyd calls his most experienced actors, will perform in the two one-acts.

“Laundry and Bourbon” is set on a back porch in rural Texas, where three women fold laundry while sipping bourbon and Coke. Their talk turns to gossip and the many secrets openly held in a small town, while one of the women looks up the road for her errant husband, whom she knows is dealing with demons and post-traumatic stress from serving in the Vietnam War.

In “Pvt. Wars,” three G.I.’s recovering from injuries sustained in Vietnam meet on the terrace of a military hospital.

In a series of short, comic scenes, the young men — one obsessed with fixing a radio, another literally an emasculated bully and the third, an intellectual — deal with their anxiety about what will come next in their lives.

As the play unfolds, the trio both entertains and torments one another, sharing dreams, fears and advice about how to pick up girls.

“Both plays are a funny, warm-hearted take on friendship — as a source of conflict and comfort,” said Floyd.

The two plays are rated PG-13 due to some language. The subject matter may not be appropriate for young children.