Guys and Dolls
As the play opens, Nathan Detroit, the proprietor of the "oldest established permanent floating crap game in New York," must find a place to hold that crap game in the face of a police crackdown. The only place available is Joey Biltmore's Garage, but Joey wants $1000 for the use of his garage -- $1000 that Nathan does not have. Nathan sees the opportunity to get $1000 when a fellow gambler, Sky Masterson, claims that all "dolls" are alike, and that he can get any "doll" to accompany him to Havana. When Nathan bets Sky $1000 to the contrary, Sky thinks he has a sure bet until Nathan chooses the "dame": a woman missionary named Sarah Brown.
In order to convince Sarah to go to Havana with him, Sky promises to deliver a mission full of "sinners" to help Sarah convince her superiors that the mission should remain open. As the hand is played out, Sky finds that he stands to gain much more than the $1000 he originally bet..
Meanwhile, Nathan and the other gamblers, sporting the red carnations that will gain them admittance to the crap game, are confronted by Lt. Brannigan. Benny, a fellow gambler, tells Brannigan that the carnations are for Nathan's bachelor's party because Nathan is finally marrying his fiance of 14 years, Miss Adelaide. Miss Adelaide, overhearing this, immediately begins planning for a wedding. Subsequently, Nathan decides that, since Adelaide is willing to take a chance on him, he is willing to take a chance on "going straight." The only problem is...
There's one more crap game to arrange, and Big Jule, a tough-talking mobster from Chicago, won't take "no" for an answer. Resigned to losing the bet with Sky, Nathan finds that the only available locale is a true "dive." Of course, when Adelaide finds out, she gives Nathan the "cold" shoulder. Later, after the unavoidable crap game has begun, Sky arrives to make the best of his life -- a bet for all of their souls!
