"Lucky One Day"

What happens when you go from a happy, hard-working couple to multi-millionaires overnight? In "Lucky One Day," we follow Sherman and Kelly through a series of wild windfalls that turn their world upside down. From a sweepstakes win to a multi-million dollar lottery jackpot, their lives change in an instant.

But a year later, the dream has turned into a nightmare. Their new life of luxury in a Chicago high-rise is filled with bitterness and regret. Join us as we explore what happens when the money runs out and the love disappears.

Action and Plot
"Lucky One Day," tells the story of Kelly and Sherman, a couple who unexpectedly become wealthy. The play is divided into three scenes that trace their relationship's dramatic shift over the course of a year.

In the first scene, the couple celebrates a series of incredible windfalls: Sherman gets a promotion at his engineering job, his debut novel is accepted for publication, a movie studio offers to buy the film rights, and he wins $10 million in a sweepstakes. To cap it all off, he wins a $35 million lottery jackpot with a last-minute ticket. Kelly and Sherman are ecstatic, their joy culminating in a wild celebration that ends with them running off to the bedroom.

Scene two takes place one year later in their new high-rise apartment in downtown Chicago. The couple is now estranged and hostile toward one another, constantly bickering and insulting each other. Sherman spends his days playing video games and "day-trading crypto-currencies," which he seems to be losing money on. Kelly, meanwhile, is living a frivolous life of luxury, going to the casino with her sister Connie, and their dates, dressed in designer "cheerleader ensembles". The scene escalates into a heated argument where they insult each other's lifestyle choices and question the foundation of their marriage.

In the final scene, a devastated Sherman reveals that his book and movie deal are on hold due to a plagiarism claim. He confesses to Kelly that he is unhappy with his life and offers her half of the remaining money, stating he wants her to be happy and find someone better than him. Kelly initially refuses the money and professes her love for him, but he transfers $15 million to her account anyway and decides to leave, taking only his laptop and the Rolls Royce. The play concludes with an enraged Kelly destroying Sherman's video game console with a baseball bat, cursing his name, and then declaring her happiness without him.

Themes

• The Corrupting Influence of Wealth: The most prominent theme is how sudden, immense wealth destroys the lives of the main characters. Instead of bringing them happiness, the money makes them miserable, turning their initial love into resentment and hostility. It strips away their purpose, leading Sherman to abandon his passion for writing and his engineering career for video games and day trading. Similarly, Kelly's life becomes one of leisure and superficiality.
• Loss of Identity and Purpose: Both Sherman and Kelly lose their sense of self after winning the lottery. Sherman, a former engineer and aspiring author, becomes a day-trader and video game player. Kelly, once a hard worker, now fills her days with empty pursuits like tennis and gambling. The money frees them from their old lives but leaves them with nothing meaningful to replace them with.
• Failed Dreams and Reality: The play presents a stark contrast between the couple's initial dreams and their eventual reality. In the beginning, they have tangible successes—a promotion, a book deal—but these are eventually revealed to be fragile and fleeting. The lottery win, which seemed like the ultimate dream come true, ultimately unravels their lives.
• The Breakdown of Communication: The couple's relationship deteriorates into a series of sarcastic remarks, crude insults, and misunderstandings. They are unable to connect on a deeper level, and their conversations are filled with thinly veiled accusations and bitterness.