Comedic Play Explores the Idea of Second Chances with a Bell in ‘Sure Thing’

“Sure Thing” response essay In David Ives' play "Sure Thing," the key and only characters are Bill and Betty. The two characters meet, by happenstance in a restaurant and the play unfolds from there with the punch line always being, “Sure thing”. The comedy is centered on a bell that one of the two characters ring when the exchange takes an unwanted twist; the bell signifies that the question asked or conversation being held begins anew with a different outcome.

With the bell ringing, it is almost as if the characters get to do an instant replay, while editing, to bring about a different outcome, a cinematic mulligan, so to speak. The outcome, is that of the two saying and doing, all the right things at the right time and an implied happily ever after ending, How much easier life would be if you could just call “cut” or a little bell would ding every time you said or did something incorrectly. “Sure thing” is very similar to a commercial that is airing currently for the Nissan Altima.

In the commercial every time the character does something incorrectly, a horn beeps to let him know that a mistake has been or is being made. I think all of us could use something like that at times. Unfortunately, we do not get that liberty, and are forced to live with our choices and decisions whether good, bad, or indifferent. I have personally made bad decisions, for instance, I once used the wrong weed killer on my grass and killed my entire lawn, how helpful a horn or bell would have been then.

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The line that stood out to me the most in the play was “Is this chair taken? ” It is kind of an odd and rhetorical way to open a conversation, don’t you think? Clearly, Bill can see that no one is sitting in the chair yet he still asks the question. Sometimes people use a roundabout way to get where they are trying to go. For instance, Bill could have just as easily asked, if Betty minded if he sat there, and left it up to Betty to elaborate on the outcome. She then could have said yes, no, I am sorry someone is already sitting there, or whatever response she chose.

To me it seems like a waste of time to ask a question if you already know the answer, or if you know that you will have to ask another question because of how you worded your first statement or question. Some people will argue that these rhetorical questions or statements are conversation starter. I would have to disagree with them. I am a firm believer in; just say what you are really trying to say. As you can see from the play when you try an around about method, it leaves too much room for interpretation and error. Had Bill just asked Betty “Would you mind if I sit here? ” the possibility of a “Sure Thing” would have been much greater.

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