Beauty by Jane Martin and Sure Thing by David Ives are one act, two character comedic plays. Beauty reminds me of several variations I have seen on this theme (two people unhappy with their lot in life, swap bodies/lives with some magical help). With the exception that Beauty ends where most of the other books, plays, movies where just getting started; and has a simple, clearly stated moral...We all wish we had someone else's problems. I can't wait to see our class performance of this play.

Sure Thing is like a song that gain a line with each repetition of the original verse. The play soon breaks this pattern and gets fun, in a "what approach will work to get this person to be interested in me; enough to overcome their natural suspicion of strangers and leave with me" kind of flirting. The kind I have witnessed countless times in bars and taverns across the northwest, in my misspent youth. I must say the lack of alcohol in Sure Thing adds a degree of difficulty to this timeless scenario. There are some funny and unexpected turns towards the end and I thought it was A fun play, and an easy read.