As the play opens, each player says his one line in this order:
These are the best years of our lives.
So we are told.
But the truth is...
These are the stress years of our lives.
From the moment we are born, our parents have planned...
our hopes...
our dreams...
our goals...
our future.

Each high school student represents a typical stress that many young people feel today. Here are their voices:
My dad wants me to join the military; that's 4 years of my life!
If I'm not valedictorian, I may not get the scholarship I want.
Mom is pushing me to get married and move out. I'm not ready!
My mother is like my personal secretary. I just do what she says.
I'm barely going to graduate; I guess I'll hook up with a trade school.
I feel tranquilized with testing times, dates and places.
Baseball's my ticket out of here.
I'd like to pursue an acting career in New York.

Looking beyond graduation, the students know that their stress level will perhaps increase through college and choosing a career—so many choices—so much stress!

This play explores the pressures students face from parents and peers as they approach graduation. Performed on a bare stage at a fast pace with each vignette dissolving into the next, this 20-25 minute play is perfect for school assemblies, PTA meetings, etc. The play can be presented by either five girls and four boys, or seven girls and two boys. Students wear white shirts or tee shirts and blue jeans. Hats, glasses, and other hand-held items can be carried in pockets to add color to the characters. The drill sergeant, for example, could wear a fatigue cap and blow a whistle. All other items, except for the clipboard, are pantomimed. Eight folding chairs are needed, along with "Crickets" and a drumroll. The director is encouraged to be creative, especially during the last scene, the occupations. Cheerleaders and gymnists could perform some balancing, flying, and twisting effects to enhance the scene if desired. The opportunities for student choreography are numerous.

The finale lines the students up as they were in the opening. Each has one line saying they have a lot to learn, they want to please, but they have their own lives to live and they need their parents' patience, love, and assurance. In chorus they chant, "Listen to us."

See also: Awareness Plays for Young Adults, Plays About Family Relationships