You know the feeling when a bell goes off. You wake up. Or class is over. Or the cake is done. Playwright David Ives takes the meaning of the bell to a whole new level of possibility in his collection of six mini plays “All in the Timing,” which opened Sunday at the Bar Harbor Theatre. For Ives, a wry and witty writer, the bell signifies an unexpected pivotal moment. For director Lawrence Bull, the bell is another way to zap the audience with quirky, smirky humor.

“Sure Thing,” which is the most popularly reproduced segment of the collection, is about strangers meeting in a coffee shop. A woman sits alone reading a Faulkner novel and is interrupted by a man who would like to take the empty seat at her table. With each of their interactions, a bell dings offstage, and their conversation is redirected magically. They get the chance to gauge and modify every comment according to the other person’s reaction. The presentation continues until the speaker gets it right for the listener. For instance, when the man tries to tell his political leanings, the bell clues him into the woman’s dismay at his answers. It goes something like this: “I’m a Republican.” Ding! “A Democrat.” Ding! “A Liberal.” Ding, ding, ding! “I’m not affiliated.” At which point, the bell is silent, and the woman smiles with acceptance. “I’m not affiliated either,” she gratefully exclaims. And the two go on to other topics that help them decide whether they want to share that table at the coffee shop.

It’s all about looking for the connections, and that is, essentially, the theme Ives is gleefully addressing here. Sometimes the action goes into the surreal, such in “Philip Glass Buys a Loaf of Bread” in which a cast of four – Rebecca Cook, Catherine Eaton, Michael Dorval and Paul Cortez – go into operatic vocal repetitions and movements that parody the music of contemporary composer Philip Glass. Even if you don’t know Glass, the story works as an expose of the complicated layers of relationships.

The actors show themselves at their most controlled during the Glass piece, which is so carefully choreographed that an error – such as a flying bagel that got dropped on opening night – would trip up lesser performers but seem to be the perfect vehicle for this cast to show off its talents. While each of the actors adds something to the evening, my favorite among the troupe was Michael Dorval, whose background in comedy informs even the most dour line delivery. He might not be right for the role of Hamlet, but he does have an easy, friendly way about him whether he plays a loser, a winner or a nut case. As ridiculous as some of his roles are in these vignettes, Dorval never seems ridiculous as an actor, nor does he make you uncomfortable on his behalf. The worst you could say about Dorval is that, after happily watching him do what he does best (standup comedy), you might develop a secret desire to hear him call a Red Sox game just to see how much more entertaining he could make it.

Rebecca Cook is his match in “The Universal Language,” in which she plays a stuttering loner who looks to a crash course in a new “universal” language to help her overcome social awkwardness. Speaking primarily in a made-up tongue that is part English, part every other language, idiomatic expression and slang in the world, the two performers are a hilarious bungle of gibberish. You’ll understand every word eventually, but you may not expect the surprise ending.

Three other pieces make for a jam-packed 100 minutes of fun. As director, Bull fills the intermezzo time with snappy music, and the whole evening ends up successfully emphasizing what every actor and director learns in Theater 101: It’s all in the timing.

A final note: Occasionally, the show’s language may be too racy for young children and their parents.

Bar Harbor Theatre will present “All in the Timing” through July 28. Performance dates are intermittent, but curtains are always at 8 p.m. at the Municipal Building on Cottage Street in Bar Harbor. For information, call 356-5987.