Sure Thing (play)

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Sure Thing is a short play by David Ives that was first presented at the Manhattan Punch Line Theatre in New York City in February 1988. It was directed by Jason McConnell Buzas.

Robert Stanton played Bill, and Nancy Opel played Betty.

In the play, Bill and Betty have an awkward encounter at a café, but it is continually reset by the ringing of a bell until, finally, they have a connection.

It has been suggested that the connection Bill and Betty (two generic names perhaps meant to represent all people) finally do make, after experiencing many many different sorts of mistakes and rejections, is not a genuine one. Rather, the suggestion is that the relationship finally works out simply as a result of the timing of Bill's answers to Betty's questions. The relationship perhaps works out as a result of Bill superficially overcoming myriads of ridiculous stereotypes and social obstacles.

Several possible messages inherent in this play include:

1. Entering relationships is all about timing. 2. The way we enter into relationships with people is ultimately superficial. 3. The way we enter into relationships is somewhat ridiculous and has more to do with feeding the other person the right answers than with viewing the other as a real person. 4. People often set up dumb and often impossibly hard barriers in order to block a potential mate.