Workforce Coming of Age was written to help employers and managers deal with the complexity of a large number of older employees and their families. This is an issue that will require more and more attention in the next 10 years.

SYNOPSIS

The play opens with Nancy, Judy and Richard wandering into what they assume is a focus group. They have never met, having worked for different affiliates of the parent company, but have exchanged email and phone calls at various times. This is what they discuss, surprised by one another's appearances.

Angel enters from the audience and introduces himself as the entity created by the company, stating his purpose and thanking them for doing their homework to make the focus group more effective. He also mentions that because he despises meetings and discussion -- especially with human resource specialists -- he has designed a way to make the focus group more entertaining.

Angel has them each discuss answers to the question: What is aging?

Angel then leads each of the characters through a scenario that he has contrived based upon his observations of their lives. Judy witnesses two young people from her workgroup talking about her, relating myths of an aging worker. In Nancy's scenario, she watches someone with whom she works struggling to take care of her aging father in the same way she struggles to take care of her child. Richard witnesses Angel's fantasy of how two consultants came up with an assessment of his agency, relative to aging issues. They focus on the various statutes established by government.

In the second act, Richard leads a discussion on the human resource strategies used in other countries. Judy, using audience members, demonstrates various statistics regarding the aging workforce. Nancy shares her fantasy of what the three of them could be like in 40 years and the kinds of issues they would be required to handle.

Angel admits defeat in dealing with issues of aging in the workforce. Richard, Nancy and Judy discuss possible strategies to accommodate these issues. Angel is doubtful but more optimistic in assimilating some of the suggestions.

CHARACTERS